Abstract

The situation of primary schooling is indeed appalling in backward districts because education planning in India does not take into account the educational needs and aspirations of the poor people. The study focuses the situation of primary education in some tribal villages of a backward district of Maharashtra, India with the help of qualitative and quantitative data. Besides infrastructural improvements, the study strongly favors introduction of tribal languages for basic education, provision of personnel for clerical works and proper maintenance of records that reflects the reality of primary schooling. Economic uncertainty and financial hardship are the contributing factors for the age-old disinterest in education among the tribes. Thus increasing the sources of income is the only way to encourage willing participation in basic education.  

Key words: India, primary schooling, Maharashtra