Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh tribal students return to schools

New Delhi: Nine months after schools were closed in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak, tribal students enrolled in residential schools of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra are finally returning to their classrooms with strict protocols in place. However, the numbers remain limited. The tribal students enrolled in senior classes of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) of the two states have resumed classes from this month. EMRS are premier schools funded by the tribal affairs ministry and run by state governments which provide boarding and education for tribal students in remote districts.

Speaking to ET, secretary (tribal affairs) Deepak Khandekar said, “Students of senior classes 9, 10, 11 and 12 have resumed classes in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. But the states have reported that attendance remains low. At such a time we cannot force parents to send their children to school. The teachers will gradually have to connect with parents and ensure that the students return next year and do not discontinue education.”

The two states have been asked to furnish data on how many schools are functional and the number of students who have returned to the classrooms. Andhra Pradesh has 19 functional EMRS in which 3,424 students are enrolled. Maharashtra has 5,067 students enrolled in 24 functional EMRS. More states are likely to reopen residential schools. Though the Centre’s funds are used in construction of residential schools for tribal children, the decision to reopen has been left to the District Disaster Management Authority. The call to reopen is taken on the district magistrate’s recommendation. Both states have put in place very strict Covid-19 protocols, keeping the health ministry’s guidelines in mind. These include regular sanitisation of hands and surfaces.


Students were counselled at the time of joining to ensure they had not been in contact with an infected person or showed any symptoms. The spread of the virus in tribal areas has, by far, been limited. The ministry had asked the states to prepare groundwork for reopening of schools in September. This was after an interaction with states where it was felt that lack of devices and connectivity had adversely impacted learning and the students may face a severe learning gap or may not return to the formal education fold even after reopening.