Building Inclusive Futures: Education Reform for Odisha’s Vulnerable Communities

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Project Details

Category: Education
Project Title: Transforming Education for the Vulnerable Sections
Department or District: ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department
State: Odisha
Start Date of the Project: 1st November 2022
Website: https://stsc.odisha.gov.in/

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Tribe(s) that the Project Covers: The project targets all Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes across Odisha, encompassing 62 tribal communities and 93 Scheduled Caste communities, which together constitute nearly 40% of the state’s total population.

Keywords: Education Reform, ST & SC Development, Tribal Literacy, Smart Classrooms, Hostel Infrastructure, Girls Education, Multilingual Education, SAMHATI, FLN, KHUSI, Mission Suvidya, Inclusive Pedagogy, Aspirational Schools

Odisha’s ST & SC Development Department embarked on a mission to overhaul its education system for vulnerable populations. Despite socio-economic barriers and geographical isolation, the Department envisioned an education framework that not only ensured access but also equity, quality, and innovation in learning outcomes. The initiative reflects the state’s commitment to transforming tribal education from a basic service into a powerful vehicle for empowerment and aspiration.

The Project

This comprehensive initiative focuses on multiple fronts: introducing smart classrooms and ICT-enabled learning, revamping hostels, standardising infrastructure, enhancing teacher training, and ensuring contextual pedagogy. The mission touches over 1,700 schools and 5,800 hostels across Odisha. Central to the project is the inclusion of Smart Learning Centres and Reading Corners, aimed at fostering critical thinking and creativity. The project also embeds multilingual education strategies to cater to Odisha’s rich tribal linguistic diversity comprising 21 languages, 74 dialects, and 7 scripts.

Problems that it Intends to Solve

Vulnerable communities in Odisha face multiple barriers: remoteness, language challenges, financial hardship, poor infrastructure, and lack of parental literacy. The education system historically suffered from institutional inertia, lack of standardisation, poor fund utilisation, and limited stakeholder participation. Hostel infrastructure was inadequate and unregulated, while pedagogical methods remained outdated and non-inclusive for tribal learners.

What was the Need

The urgent need arose from stark disparities in literacy and dropout rates among tribal children. Existing models were ill-equipped to deal with cultural and linguistic plurality. Furthermore, the aspiration gap between urban and tribal education outcomes widened year after year. A reimagined, inclusive model was imperative for realising equitable learning environments.

What Hindered its Introduction

The primary barriers included internal resistance to change, fragmented resource allocation, linear training models for teachers, and initial hesitation among communities and parents to embrace the reforms. Also, mapping the vast educational needs of a demographically diverse population proved challenging.

Process Followed for Implementation

The programme rolled out through a staged process. It began with engagement and planning across departments, followed by the development of policy frameworks. Implementation focused on infrastructure upgradation, pedagogy reforms, and entitlement provisioning. A robust monitoring and evaluation framework was established with a 24×7 School and Hostel Monitoring Cell. Smart classrooms, ICT labs, and Smart Learning Centres were introduced in phases. Teachers were given continuous training under a revamped TPD system, while curricular reforms integrated FLN (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy), SAMHATI (MLE), and differentiated instruction models.

• Government Involvement
  • The state government spearheaded the initiative, supported by flagship schemes such as Mukhyamantri Medhabi Chatra Protsahan Yojana, Mission Suvidya, and Education@20. The Department ensured convergence between schemes like ANWESHA, AKANKHYA, and KHUSI, linking entitlements such as scholarships, skill training, and menstrual hygiene management to educational attainment.
• Community and NGO Involvement
  • While the project was largely government-led, community participation was encouraged through parents’ meetings, tele-counselling, and field-level sensitisation. Schools involved students in peer-led activities, reading programmes, and science exhibitions (e.g., Sargifula). Local mentors and social workers acted as mediators to promote acceptance of the new system.

Solutions Implemented

A wide range of structural and pedagogical solutions were introduced. Over 1,405 Reading Corners and 500 Smart Classrooms were established to promote inquiry-based learning. ICT labs, tabs for primary learners, and audio-visual content became part of regular pedagogy. Dedicated girls’ hostels, uniform and textbook provision, and nutritional enhancement with eggs and chicken thrice weekly improved living and learning environments. Teacher training now integrates curriculum design, IT skills, and contextual learning strategies.

Details of the Coverage

The programme now touches over 4.2 lakh households. It covers 1,735 schools, 5,833 hostels (including 188 girls’ high schools and hostels for minorities and OBCs), and over 5 lakh ST & SC boarders. Entitlement delivery includes ₹550 crores in scholarships annually.

Innovation and Unique Features

Key innovations include Smart Learning Centres, Reading Corners, real-time monitoring dashboards, and school/hostel infrastructure ISO grading through Mission Suvidya. Introduction of a one-stop digital portal helps integrate school records, hostel status, learning resources, and teacher performance. All interventions prioritise inclusion, contextualisation, and cultural relevance.

• New Approaches: Tech integration, capacity building, culturally sensitive methods
  • With 62 tribes and over 70 dialects, the SAMHATI multilingual education approach embraces linguistic diversity. Language and curriculum-based training is integrated with FLN and SARALA frameworks. Girls’ education is supported through life skills training, socio-emotional learning, and the KHUSI programme on menstrual hygiene. Teachers are equipped to use differentiated instructions that adapt to local contexts.
• Co-creation: How tribal knowledge or leadership shaped the solution
  • Through school management committees and village-level consultations, community feedback shaped implementation. Parental resistance was addressed via five PTMs annually and interactive counselling. As schools evolved, models for early childhood and vocational education were piloted, such as UJJWAL, UTTHAN, and UTKARSH bridge courses.

Challenges Faced

• Prior to deployment, the sector suffered from bureaucratic inertia, outdated infrastructure, and lack of standardisation. Motivation levels among teachers were low, and facilities were severely underfunded or unused.
• Key obstacles included low fund utilisation, community hesitance, and linearity in training models. Monitoring over thousands of dispersed schools and hostels posed logistical hurdles, while maintaining service quality at scale remained complex.
• Dedicated district teams, 24×7 monitoring cells, and concurrent evaluations helped streamline implementation. Funds were bundled into larger, targeted schemes, and stakeholders were engaged through participatory evaluation methods.

Outcomes

• Quantitatively, the results are outstanding. The High School Certificate (HSC) pass percentage rose from 69.6% in 2005 to 94.2% in 2022-23. Literacy among tribal females grew by 76.29% over a decade, compared to the national average of 41.97%. Hostel enrolment surged, dropout rates declined, and infrastructure provisioning became equitable across geographies.
• Qualitatively, the programme has yielded improved health and well-being of students, reduced dropout among girls, and broader access to aspirational education. A sense of pride, ownership, and ambition is now visible in student voices and community narratives.
• The School & Hostel Monitoring Cell ensures real-time surveillance, with CCTV installations, field inspections, and performance audits. Continuous teacher evaluations and student assessments guide curricular improvements.
• Over 5 lakh children from ST, SC, and minority communities across Odisha directly benefit from improved schooling, entitlements, and living conditions. Thousands of teachers have received upskilling.

Replicability / Scalability / Sustainability

Given the scalability demonstrated, Odisha’s model is well-positioned for replication in other tribal-dominated states. The structured curriculum, inclusive pedagogy, and smart infrastructure serve as templates for national adoption.

The programme dovetails with state education missions and national goals under NEP 2020. With a projected expansion budget of ₹1,000 lakh, and integration into existing schemes like ICDS and RMSA, the financial structure is resilient.

Presentation

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