September 23-25, 2025 | A Digital Dialogue on Equity and Inclusion
What does education mean for a child growing up in a remote tribal hamlet, where the nearest school is kilometers away through dense forest? What barriers stand between aspiration and opportunity for communities that have lived on the fringes of development for generations? And how can policy truly serve those it’s meant to protect if their voices remain unheard in the spaces where decisions are made?
These questions were at the heart of a three-day webinar series organized by GRAAM (Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement) from September 23 to 25, 2025, focusing on the educational status, challenges, and pathways forward for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and forest-dwelling Adivasi communities across Karnataka.
Held daily from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, the series brought together experts, practitioners, government officials, researchers, and most importantly community representatives to engage in honest, evidence-based dialogue about what it will take to ensure educational equity for India’s most marginalized tribal populations.
Why This Matters: The Urgency of Addressing Tribal Education
India’s tribal communities, particularly PVTGs like the Jenu Kuruba and Koraga, along with forest-based groups such as Soliga, Betta Kuruba, Paniyarava, Kudiya, Malekudiya, Iruliga, Hasala, Gowdlu, and Siddi, have lived on the edges of Karnataka’s forests for generations. Yet when we examine educational indicators, literacy rates, school enrollment, dropout rates, access to higher education – these communities remain dramatically underserved.
GRAAM organized this webinar series: to understand the root causes of educational inequality, identify what’s working and what isn’t, and chart a path forward that genuinely centers the voices and needs of tribal communities themselves.
The Objectives: Beyond Dialogue to Action
The webinar series had clear, actionable objectives:
- To create a platform for authentic communication between government officials, researchers, civil society organizations, and tribal communities themselves, ensuring that those most affected by educational policies have a seat at the table where those policies are discussed.
- To examine the full educational ecosystem for tribal children from pre-primary Anganwadis through primary schools, Ashram schools, residential schools, and higher education, identifying gaps at every level and proposing context-sensitive solutions.
- To explore how traditional knowledge, cultural identity, and tribal languages can be integrated into educational curricula in ways that honor these communities’ heritage while preparing students for the modern world.
- To translate dialogue into policy recommendations that can inform government planning, particularly through the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) budget and state-level educational reforms.
As Dr. Basavaraju R. Shreshta, Executive Director of GRAAM, emphasized in his opening remarks, the goal wasn’t simply to document problems, but to build a roadmap for change grounded in evidence, community wisdom, and a shared commitment to equity.
Three Days of Deep Engagement
Over three intensive sessions, the webinar tackled different dimensions of tribal education with remarkable depth and honesty.
Day 1 (September 23): Ashram Schools and Educational Infrastructure
The first day focused on a critical question: Is upgrading Ashram schools into high schools necessary and feasible?
Ashram schools, residential institutions specifically designed for tribal children have been a cornerstone of tribal education policy since the first such school was established in Karnataka in 1953. Currently, there are 119 Ashram schools across the state.
However, participants identified challenges: inadequate infrastructure, teacher shortages, high dropout rates, and curricula that fail to reflect tribal cultures or linguistic realities. Many schools function only up to the 5th grade, creating a sharp discontinuity when students must transition to higher grades in unfamiliar environments.
Panelists explored whether upgrading these schools or creating entirely new models, drawing inspiration from institutions like Navodaya Vidyalayas or the Kerala model of educational management, might better serve tribal children’s needs.
Day 2 (September 24): Educational Policy and Pathways
The second day examined what type of educational policy framework is needed to achieve genuine educational development for tribal children. Discussions ranged from the roles of Ashram schools, government schools, and residential institutions to the challenges and opportunities in higher education.
A recurring theme was the tension between standardization and cultural sensitivity. While uniform policies simplify administration, they often fail to account for the linguistic diversity, geographical isolation, and unique learning needs of tribal children. Speakers emphasized the need for flexible, locally responsive educational approaches that don’t sacrifice quality for accessibility.
Day 3 (September 25): Integrating Traditional Knowledge and Culture
The final day addressed perhaps the most sensitive and important question: How can tribal traditional knowledge, values, skills, and culture be meaningfully integrated into education?
For generations, tribal communities have passed down knowledge of medicinal plants, environmental conservation, sustainable resource management, and cultural practices through oral traditions. Yet this wisdom rarely appears in formal school curricula.
Participants discussed how education can honor and build upon this foundation, not as a relic to be preserved in museums, but as a living, relevant knowledge system that can complement modern education. When students see their own cultures reflected and valued in what they learn, it builds pride, engagement, and a sense of belonging that makes education feel relevant rather than imposed.
A Collaborative Effort: Partners in Dialogue
The success of this webinar series was made possible through collaboration among key institutions:
- Department of Scheduled Tribes Welfare, Government of Karnataka
- Mahatma Gandhi University of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Gadag
- Karnataka State Tribal Research Institute, Mysuru
- Federation of Karnataka Forest-Based Indigenous Tribal Organizations
This multi-stakeholder approach ensured that perspectives from policy, academia, research, and community organizing were all represented, creating a richer, more grounded conversation than any single institution could achieve alone.
A heartfelt thank you to all the speakers, participants, and partners who made this meaningful dialogue possible. Together, we continue to learn, listen, and act for a more equitable future.Â
At GRAAM, we believe that sustainable development is shaped by community voices, and is realized through policy that serves rather than overlooks the most vulnerable. This webinar series embodies that commitment.
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