Abstract

The Indian education system has historically struggled with expanding access to education without ensuring equitable opportunities or maintaining the quality of education, particularly for marginalized communities. Despite the introduction of the Right to Education Act (2009), learning outcomes remain inadequate, especially for children from tribal communities who face multiple layers of disadvantage—economic, social, cultural, and geographical. Tribal populations continue to have some of the lowest enrollment, retention, and educational achievement rates, despite decades of government interventions. In this context, UNICEF commissioned the Centre for Budget and Policy Studies (CBPS) to conduct a study titled Reviewing the Status of Education in Tribal Districts of Maharashtra. The study aimed to:

• Assess the state of school education among tribal populations and review relevant policies and programs
• Understand factors contributing to or hindering educational attainment in districts with high tribal concentrations.

The study employed a combination of secondary and primary research. Secondary data from sources such as the Census, National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), and Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) were reviewed alongside critical literature and policies. Primary data collection included a survey of learning levels in classes II, V, and IX, classroom observations, interviews with school principals, focus group discussions with parents and teachers, and facility assessments in Amravati, Thane, and Yavatmal districts. A Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) sampling technique was used to generalize the findings to all tribal districts of Maharashtra.

CBPS. (2017). Reviewing the status of education in tribal areas in Maharashtra: a comprehensive report. Bengaluru, India: Centre for Budget and Policy Studies.