3,434 ST students have enrolled in various degree courses at govt first grade colleges in Mysuru district, according to latest data.
A total of 62 ST children discontinued their education in primary and secondary schools in Mysuru district.
DC Nanjunda, associate professor at the centre for the study of social exclusion and inclusive policy, University of Mysore, said the figures only partly reflect the scale of the problem. A majority of forest-based tribal children drop out much earlier, often at the primary school level itself,” he said. The figures, furnished by ST welfare minister T Raghumurthy in response to a question by MLC K Abdul Jabbar, also point to dropouts at the school level. “There are several reasons for school and college dropouts. Among ST communities, very few tribal children progress to govt degree colleges. It is mainly students from the Nayaka community who pursue higher education. “The real challenge is bringing children into the education system and retaining them. In tribal hamlets, the absence of an academic environment, coupled with social prejudices and other difficulties, often results in children discontinuing education after reaching adolescence. The seriousness of the issue is far greater than what available data suggests,” he added.