Early Childhood Care and Education for Adivasi Children in India ?- National Advocacy Council for Development of Indigenous People (NAC-DIP the National Network of Adivasi Organisations)

A. Every year millions of infants around the world begin an extraordinary sprint – from defenceless newborns to becoming proactive young children ready for school.

B. Every year, countless numbers of young children are stopped in their tracks – deprived, in one way or another, of the love, care, nurturing, health, nutrition and protection that they need to survive, grow and develop.

C. Nearly 10 million children die before their fifth birthday each year.

D. Over 200 million children are not developing to their full potential –solely because their caregivers lack the basic conditions needed for young children to survive and thrive.

Ind ia and the Ind igenous Peop le

Issue of 10% population with 622 Tribal Communities

ADIVASIS (STs) are the

INDIGENOUS people with a

distinct identity and culture

that has territorial

identification, a harmonious

and symbiotic relationship with

the earth as her children,

internally organized on

egalitarian and communitarian

basis, with systems of

knowledge, language, self-rule,

self-reliance &

self-governance and

nationhood”.

1. More than 370 million tribal people live in worldwide;

2. Adivasis are living in more than 100 countries (roughly);

3. Over 5000 distinct Indigenous communities in this world;

4. There are 4000 culture/ traditions in worldwide (3500);

5. About 7000 languages at international level among this over 5000 languages are from the indigenous communities ;

6. Nearly 10% of the Indian population are Adivasi Communities

AROUND THE WORLD

Distinctive Culture

Geographical Isolation

Worshiping Nature

Shyness of contact with outsiders

Living in unreachable

areasTraditional beliefs & Practices

Backwardness and

Poverty

Depending on Natural resources

Traditional language,

song/music

Unique way of life

/Equality

ADIVASIS / TRIBESINDIGENOUS PEOPLE

According to Government;

Primitive Traits…Geographical isolation… Distinct culture with traditions, language…Shy of contact with community at large…Economically backwardness…

There are 105,295 villages and 57 Urban Areas/Towns which have more than 50% Scheduled tribes

population in the country.

Total population of Scheduled Tribes is 84,326,240 as per the

Census 2001 which accounts for 8.2% of the total population of

country. There is no proper survey and majority of the STs live in rural

areas and remote areas.

India still has 27% of its land as natural forest with rich minerals by

living more than 15% of its population; historically protected with sustainably by the adivasis.

Central Zone Indigenous People

The Central Zone (46%) is reeling under State oppression due to the MAO movement, conflict due to the influence of MNCs and forced displacement due to developments, religious fundamentalism resulting in loss of livelihoods, property, identity and language. A mass Exodus of the Indigenous due to the genocide policy against Maoists in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and migration for employment, forced labour, human trafficking, development exploitation are the real realities faced by adivasis in this region.

In the Western Zone (27.6%) the Indigenous People suffered of mass displacement, denial of lands and livelihoods due to Dam constructions and Special Economic Zones, Industries and because of the liberalization economy.

Land alienation, isolation, violence and forced migration are very high. Schemes and projects of the state are adapting exclusive approach.

Western Zone Indigenous People

As both the North Eastern zone (12.4%) and the North Western zone (2%) are situated along the international borders of China, Myanmar and Bangladesh in the North-East, and Pakistan and China on the north west, these zones experience internal and external terrorism, are the hub of State atrocities due to Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) and political unrest, ethnic conflicts, human trafficking for tourist & hospitality industry and extreme poverty.

North & Eastern Zone Indigenous People

Indigenous people in Islands

Ever since the Tsunami calamity in 2004, the Islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep (0.1%) and even the mainland eastern coastal areas are continuously facing threat in various forms. Indigenous identity, language and birth rights are threatened by many rules and regulations that deny them their right to enjoy their customary rights, livelihood resources and traditional & customary practices.

Southern zone –Tamilnadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Pondicherry (11.5%) is heavily affected by the dominant culture hegemony, displaced due to conservation laws and forced to become environment migrants and bonded labourers, child labourers, loss of traditional identity, extreme poverty illiteracy, lack of acceptance to their indigenous knowledge, continues atrocities & human rights violations are high in these parts of the country.

Southern Zone Indigenous People

ECCE & ADIVASI CHILDREN

Creating learning opportunity with mother tongue shall improve the understanding power, can reduce drop-outs, will improve in regular

schooling and can reduce family expenditure.

40.1% of Tribals are displaced –

Govt. Reports.

71% of the adivasi are unable to read and write.

64% of the Tribals are poorest of the poor.

63.5% of the Tribals

do not have access to

Electricity.

53.1% of STs do not

have Drinking

Water

83% of the Tribals do not have

toilet/sanitation

Facility.

76% of the Adivasis do

not have permanent

Houses.

Dat

a o

n P

ove

rty

amo

ng

STs

:

Tribal Children

The Indian tribes has exposed to literacy only

after 1992 due to National Policy on

Education.As per Report the Literacy Rate of STs is

29.6%(Literacy Rate: Male

40.7% and Female 18.2)

Illiteracy rate of STs is 70.4% at all India level

Enrolment Rate: Classes I-V (primary level;) 90.7% and

Classes VI-VIII is 43.2%School-drop rates of the STs: Classes I-VIII is

77.7%

Lit

erac

y D

ata

amo

ng

STs

Percentage of Adivasi Women with Anemia 64.9%

Over 56% of the Adivasi children are under nourished

Child Mortality Rate among STs is 46.3%

Childhood Vaccination rate is 26.4 % only

Only 17.1% is the Institutional Deliveries among Adivasis

Lack of support for tribal healing systems and Non recognisation of traditional medicinal knowledge

Health Data on Adivasi People

We claim that - nearly 10 % of total population –survey is ?

Age group of 0-6 children is over 1.6 crores There are several programmes such as

Tribal Development Programmes Tribal Sub Plans Education – Ekalaiva schools Modified Area Development Area

project Special programme for PTGs (75) Structure – MOTA, NSTC, STFDC,

TRIFED, etc

Some Facts;-

Educationally backward districts- thickly tribal populated

Andhra Pradesh(4) Assam: (14) Bihar: (12) Chhattisgarh: (8) Gujarat: (2) Himachal Pradesh: (3) Jharkhand: (13) Karnataka: (1) Kerala (1): Madhya Pradesh: (10)

Maharashtra: (5) Manipur: (1) Meghalaya: (1) Orissa: (12) Rajasthan: (4) Sikkim: (3) Tamilnadu: (2) Tripura: (3) Uttar Pradesh: (2) West Bengal: (4)

Sixty Tribal Districts under IAP-It is aimed at quick resolution of problems concerning healthcare, drinking water, education and roads.

Sl. State Districts (Each district gets Rs.30 crores in every year) – where it goes? Govt says that it is for integrated area development programme?!

1 Andhra Pradesh (2) Adilabad, Khammam

2 Bihar(7) Arwal, , , Jamui, Jehanabad, Nawada and Rohtas

3 Chhattisgarh (10) Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Jashpur, Kanker, Kawardha, Koriya, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon and Sarguja

4 Jharkhand (14) Bokaro, Chatra, Garhwa, Gumla, Hazaribagh, Kodarma, Latehar, Lohardaga, Paschim Singhbhum, Palamu, Purbi Singhbhum, Ramgarh, Saraikela and Simdega

5 Madhya Pradesh (8) Anuppur, Balaghat, Dindori, Mandla, Seoni, Shahdol, Sidhi and Umaria,

6 Maharashtra(2) Gadchiroli, Gondiya,

7 Orissa (15) Bolangir, Debagarh/Deogarh, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal/Phulbani, Kendujhar/Keonjhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nabarangapur, Nuapada, Rayagada, Sambalpur, Sonapur and Sundargarh

8 Uttar Pradesh (1) Sonbhadra

9 WB(1) Paschim Medinipur

Census Report 2011

• Total Children in India in the age group of 0-6 is 15,87,89,287

• Male Children in the age group of 0-6 is 8,29,52,135 • Female Children in the age group of 0-6 is 7,58,37,152

Census Report 2001

• Total Children in India in the age group of 0-6 is 16,38,37,395

• Male Children in the age group of 0-6 is 850,08,267 • Female Children in the age group of 0-6 is 7,88,29,128

Difference is 50,48,108?

Education/Literacy Rate:Total Literacy Rate 74% General (Male 82%, Female 65%)Illiterate population in India is 27,29,50,015 persons Tribal literacy is less than 33%

Children in India Children constitute about 40% of India’s population. Nearly 46.40 cores, But India’s infant mortality rate of 120 per cent thousand put it in the 27 th from

the top in a list of 130 countries around the world. About 30,000 children go blind every year because of the deficiency of vitamin A. 22.7 million children in the age of 6 to 11 years are illiterate. Over 16 million children work in India and most of them exploited very much in all aspects. Thousands of children kidnapped every year and many of them forced into beggary. In all these

unfavourable situation the girl child is badly affected including in trafficking. The National Policy for children refers to health and nutrition of children and mothers, nutrition

education of mothers, free and compulsory education of children up to the age of 14 and

recreation and cultural and scientific activities. Adivasi children are the most marginalised and victims of trafficking. Nearly 70% of ST children do

not have educational rights.

Issues faced by children 0-6 age group

Adivasi Children are the most vulnerable and extremely marginalized in India and who does not have any opportunities in accessing pre school or play school and lack of quality, technical and professional education!

Lack of Anganwadi centres in Tribal villages.Poor performance of ICDS centers/ and their workersNo schools in tribal areas – especially in remote villagesTribal Children educational rights is neglected by all

HEALTH & ADIVASI CHILD RIGHTS

UNICEF estimates that in the year 2000 about 24,20,000 children in India died before reaching at the age of five. It estimates that about half of these deaths of children under five are associated with malnutrition and illhealth.

Constitutional Provisions for protecting Child RightsNational

legal framework

A. Article 21(A): Right to Education (less than 10%)

B. Article 29: Cultural and Educational Rights (35% of funds are returning to Delhi)

C. Article 45: Provision for free and compulsory education for all (Teachers are posted in remote villages on the basis of Punishment)

D. Article 46: Promotion of educational & economic interests of SC/STs and other weaker sections (Eg. No anganwadis, ICDS in 60 important locations)

E. Article 47: Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health (eg: 80% of women and 70% of children suffered from anemia in tribal hill areas).

F. Projection –image- False statement by the state about the development of its citizens. Eg India is shining, India is developed, India is 12th wealthiest and yet 41% are poor!

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Article 01: Everyone under the age of 18 are childrenArticle 02: No child should be discriminated for any reasonsArticle 03: The BEST INTEREST of the child in all actions-including legislations/plansArticle 06: Every child has the inherent right to lifeArticle 05: Parents have a primary responsibility for the growth of their childrenArticle 09: State shall provide all systems & facilities to the parents to help their kidsArticle 13: A child has a right to informationArticle 15: All Children have a right to association and assemblyArticle 24: Every child has the right to food and nutritionArticle 28: Every child has the right to educationArticle 29: Children have the right to knowledge on the natural environmentInternationa

l framework

UNCRC

NEEDS OF ADIVASI CHILDREN

In the first years of life, children establish the cognitive, emotional and social foundation upon which they can build their futures. Early childhood care and education is the most significant developmental period of life.

A baby who is visually stimulated, continuously engaged in interactive activities, hugged, cooed to and comforted is more likely to fully develop cognitive, language, emotional and social skills, all of which are vital for success in school, in the community and subsequently in life. Yet, nearly half the world’s children – especially girls from marginalized populations – are likely to miss out on programmes that can develop these skills in early childhood.

Need of ECCE for Adivasis

About 39 million people in India suffer from food insecurity. Nearly 10 million children under the age of five die every year of largely preventable diseases. The number of children dying each year due to malnutrition – currently 3.5 million – is likely to increase as a result of over exploitation on nature.

Right to Survival and Development of the Tribal Children

Tribal Children needs support and care with their environment and quality nutrition and care with friendly environment for development

Right to Basic Education and Gender Equality1. Play school in all tribal hamlets with ECCE

policy – trained workers 2. Free, compulsory quality education for all

children – with good infrastructure 3. Mother-tongue based multi-lingual education

for growth and success and for mainstream4. Enforcement of the RTE act in all areas –

focusing girl children in tribal areas5. Support and good facility for teachers who

stay in tribal/remote areas

Right to learn with Tribal LanguageAs a child’s first exposure to education, there is debate around the language used for instruction and communication. Tribal children have limited contact with the state language, and tend to speak in their own local dialect. Government schools use the state language for teaching and communication, which is most often not familiar to a tribal child at the pre-primary and primary levels. They are thus unable to fully comprehend classroom teaching and activities, read in the state language or understand the texts properly.

Advantages: Tribal language instruction makes the process of education and

learning easier and more natural. By affording a sense of assimilation, such a practice can aid in

reducing drop-outs. This can also help increase a child’s participation in learning

processes at school. This will give confident in accepting and learning all other languages.

Right to Protection from Exploitation & DiscriminationProtecting children from violence, exploitation and abuseImplementing Prevention of Atrocities Act to prevent trafficking and discrimination Exploring all possibilities for the quality and equality educationTraining to the parents and youth against terrorism and conflicts which shall create better environment for the next generation

Protecting the physical and mental development of children is the most important

of all investments in the social

and economic

development of our

societies

12th Year in Celebrating Struggles

NACDIP is a network of adivasi organisations working to ensure justice and equality. This involves in networking, advocating for their economic, social rights, articulate for govt’s accountability in their policies/ schemes/ laws and implementing empowerment projects to challenge inequality, enhancing child rights education, promotion of human rights and using legal provisions with people’s participation.

To create a common platform for uniting all the indigenous communities of India to assert their constitutional rights, undertake issues affecting their life and livelihoods, advocate with the association of different forums with united action for the equality and dignity of the Adivasi communities.

MISSION OF NACDIP

• Rights-based approach

• Participatory approach

• Networking approach

• Child Rights approach

NACDIP Approach:-

Bhuriya Committee united us and leaded towards PESA then FRA then RTE and now on ECCE

Campaign on PESA, FRA POA Covered over 180 NGOs & 16 states with state and central departments, along with adivasi movements. Our actions created some results that are visible at the villages.

31.49 lakh claims have been filed.12.30 lakh land titles have been distributed.

More than 14,000 titles are ready for distribution. 28,08,494 claims have been disposed of (89.17%).

Increasing school attendance, reducing drop-outs & promotion of educational development by providing opportunities that would open up a window of scope in the world for the tribal children.

Protecting

Human rights of

the Adivasis and

respecting their

right to a life of

dignity, right to

freedom, self-

determination

and traditional

identity. Focus

on UDHR,

ICCPR, UNO,

ILO and fight for

Fundamental

Rights

1. EQUALITY & SOCIAL JUSTICE (Article 14, 29, 46 of the Constitution):

The state shall promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and, in particular, of the scheduled tribes and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.

2. SELF-DETERMINATION

(Article 244-1 of the Constitution):

Over 51267 villages that is being the

original inhabitants by adivasi families

which need immediate recognisation as

per the PESA 1996 act and autonomy from

the forest & revenue departments.

3. RIGHT TO LAND & FOREST (Article 19, 244, 275, 339 of the Constitution):

More the 90 per cent of the tribals are

dependent on agriculture, forest and allied

activities. There are a number of social and

religious rituals connected with land which

establish emotional ties between the tribals

and their land. Hence, by using the FRA

2006, each adivasi families must be given

10 acres of land and right to NTFP.

4. CONSULTATION & PARTICIPATION (ILO convention 107 & 169):

Many of the tribal areas have rich natural resource potential, bulk of which remains to be explored. In some areas, large scale industries and big mining complexes have been established and all these are forcing for displacement. The pattern of development in these areas, however, has not been in the best interest of the tribal communities. Hence, there should be consultation with tribal people’s participation in sharing of benefits, profits and on all decision-making process.

5. INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT (Article 23, 24, 275 of the Constitution):

More than six decades after independence, the majority of adivasi families in this country are living with no basic facilities-no shelter, no ration card, no hospitals, no roads, no transports, no schools and no community certificates. People are evicted from their homelands in the name of development or conservation. Tribals are voiceless and they are forced as bonded labourers. Laws such as the BLA 1976, POA 1989 have to be realized.

6. PEOPLE’S BASED APPROACH: (Article 338-A of the Constitution):

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), National ST Finance & Development Corporation (NSTFDC),Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and Ministry of Women and Child DevelopmentMonitoring the programs and consulting the people on the impacts of schemes/policies.

7. ECCE FOR ADIVASI CHILDREN: (National ECCE policy)

NACDIP demands that the government must bring a national policy on ECCE with separate chapter for the rights of Tribal Children covering all areas including scheduled and non-scheduled areas.

Over 16 million children work in India and most of them exploited very much in all aspects- many of them are SC/STs.

Thousands of children kidnapped every year and many of them forced into beggary. In all these unfavourable situation the tribal girl child is badly affected including in trafficking.

No importance to Adivasi Culture and Non-Recognisation of Tribal Mother Tongue.

Early Childhood care and development is depended on the community will/support.

Government policy Vs bureaucrats.

The National Policy for Early Childhood Care and Education is not focusing tribal culture and identify and it must have separate chapter to refer health and nutrition of children and mothers, education of tribal children with mother tongue with multi-lingual with values of adivasis.

We need to walk more!

The proposed ECCE must include our concerns in view with the adivasi children.

1. Need community-based Educational Policy for the rights of Tribal Children.2. Education and Curriculum should be designed with adivasi culture and it should also coop-with new skills.3. Special component plan should be developed for the rights of children age group 0-6 for early childhood care.4. People’s Gram-shabas should be given authority for monitoring the ICDS, Anganwadi/Balwadi centers.5. Playschool with tribal culture and identity should be treated as State Duty as Prime Responsibility.

Unite for Change!Fight for Justice!!

Thank You

A presentation by Krishnan & Team