Mentorship Programme for PVTGs in Odisha

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Project Details

Category: Continuing Education During COVID-19
Project Title: Mentorship Programme for PVTGs in Odisha
Department or District: ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backwards Classes Welfare Department
State: Odisha
Start Date of the Project: 15th May 2020
Website: https://stsc.odisha.gov.in/

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Tribe(s) that the Project Covers: The project covers Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste students across Odisha, including Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) such as the Dongaria Kandha.

Keywords: Tribal Education, Quality Education for SC, Quality Education for ST, COVID-19, Mentor Teachers, Odisha Education Model, Offline Learning, Digital Outreach, e-Suvidya, Community Engagement, ALMP.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed one of the most severe challenges to the education system in India, especially for vulnerable populations. In Odisha, over 4.6 lakh ST and SC students studying in 1,734 government residential educational institutions were sent home following hostel closures in March 2020. This situation led to the disruption of not only classroom-based learning but also essential psycho-social and nutritional support that these schools provided. The Alternate Learning and Mentorship Programme (ALMP) was conceptualised and launched by the Government of Odisha’s ST & SC Development Department as a timely and inclusive intervention to ensure educational continuity for tribal and backward-class students during the pandemic.

The Project

The Alternate Learning and Mentorship Programme (ALMP) is a hybrid education model that integrates digital learning with community-based, offline instruction. It primarily targeted ST and SC students of Classes I to X who were left disconnected due to school closures and poor digital access. The initiative aimed to provide academic support, and psycho-emotional engagement, and maintain learning continuity through both structured online materials and home-based mentorship by trained teachers. The program was implemented through a multi-tiered structure involving State and District Resource Groups, Mentor Teachers, and community participation.

Problems that it Intends to Solve

The project sought to resolve multiple intertwined challenges: the complete shutdown of institutional learning, limited access to digital learning infrastructure (with only 10% of students having internet access), and the absence of home-schooling support among tribal parents. Moreover, it aimed to prevent student dropouts, especially among girls, and address the emotional and mental well-being of children who lost their regular academic and social spaces.

What was the Need

The project was needed to arrest learning loss and ensure that students from marginalised communities remained engaged in the education system. Given the historically lower literacy and enrolment rates among ST and SC populations, the threat posed by pandemic-induced dropouts and disengagement was severe. The closure of hostels further exacerbated vulnerabilities due to lack of parental literacy, limited home infrastructure, and no access to teachers or peers.

What Hindered its Introduction

Initial hindrances included the digital divide—only a fraction of children had smartphones or internet access—and the unpreparedness of both teachers and the system to quickly pivot to remote or decentralised education. Additionally, COVID-related health risks, mobility restrictions, and the need to establish a new governance structure posed logistical and administrative challenges.

Process Followed for Implementation

• Government
  • The government led the programme through a decentralised and layered approach. A State Resource Group (SRG) was established to create content, design the micro-syllabus, and oversee state-wide implementation. District Control Rooms, District Resource Groups (DRGs), and supporting structures were created for field-level execution. DRGs customised the learning material and distributed it through school-wide WhatsApp groups and physical visits. Monitoring dashboards, feedback mechanisms, and weekly reporting were incorporated to maintain quality.
• Involvement of NGO
  • The programme was supported by international agencies like UNICEF and UNFPA, particularly in teacher capacity building on contextual themes such as COVID-19 awareness, WASH practices, adolescent health, and psychosocial counselling. These partnerships strengthened the delivery of life-skill education and enhanced the mentor-teacher model.
• Involvement of Community
  • Community involvement was central to ALMP. Local volunteers supported the identification of learning spaces and the mobilisation of students. Parents helped organise group sessions and supported their children’s participation. This built local ownership and trust in the programme, creating demand for sustained educational engagement even post-pandemic.

Solutions Implemented

Key solutions included the deployment of 4,700 mentor teachers to approximately 19,000 villages, the preparation and dissemination of 4,200 digital content videos through the department’s “e-Suvidya” platform, and regular home-based teaching sessions with COVID precautions. Offline worksheets were developed for foundational competencies in Odia, English, and Mathematics. WhatsApp groups facilitated digital interaction, and weekly teacher capacity-building sessions ensured consistency. Psycho-social support, health and hygiene education, and routine setting were integral components.

Details of the Coverage of the Implementation

ALMP reached around 3 lakh ST/SC students across Odisha, with 50,000 of them engaging via digital platforms. The mentor-teacher network covered nearly 18,000 villages, ensuring that even children in remote areas received regular learning interventions. The programme was implemented in all 30 districts under the ST & SC Development Department.

Innovation and Unique Features

The programme’s uniqueness lies in its timely inception and hybrid model combining online and offline delivery. It avoided over-reliance on digital tools and instead leveraged existing infrastructure and personnel. Mobilising teachers to visit villages during a pandemic while ensuring health safety, designing low-tech content delivery mechanisms, and integrating life-skill education with academics were key innovations. Importantly, it acknowledged gender and adolescent-specific needs in curriculum and mentorship.

• Tech integration, capacity building, culturally sensitive methods: Tech was integrated through platforms like DIKSHA and Madhu App, and learning videos were hosted on YouTube. Capacity building was achieved via weekly training of Mentor Teachers, with support from UNICEF. Culturally, the community-based model respected tribal contexts, allowing children to learn in familiar environments. Teachers adapted to multi-grade, multi-level teaching in open spaces or local community settings.
• How tribal knowledge or leadership shaped the solution: Tribal communities supported and co-owned the project by identifying learning spaces, organising students, and encouraging regular attendance. Their involvement not only legitimised the intervention but also increased its effectiveness by embedding it within the local context.
• How the project evolved during implementation: As the programme progressed, it expanded to include more contextual themes and deeper community engagement. Expansion plans included “School in a Van” for PVTGs and the engagement of local volunteers to cover more children. The focus shifted gradually from access to learning outcomes, with a roadmap to institutionalise self-learning tools and ensure smoother transitions back to formal schooling.

Challenges Faced Before Implementation

• Internal Challenges
  • Teachers were initially untrained for decentralised instruction and lacked experience with multi-grade formats and digital content creation.
• External Challenges
  • The digital divide and limited community resources hampered early implementation. The sudden closure of schools left little time to prepare an alternate delivery model.
• Mitigation Efforts
  • Capacity-building programmes, decentralised planning, and robust monitoring helped overcome these issues. Leveraging civil society partners also provided technical and human resource support.

Challenges Faced During Implementation

• Internal Challenges
  • Mentor Teachers had to cater to multi-grade groups, often without standard infrastructure or blackboards. Maintaining quality and consistency in such settings was difficult.
• External Challenges
  • COVID-19 safety concerns, low digital penetration, and logistical issues like transportation and material delivery were persistent challenges.
• Mitigation Efforts
  • The use of simple, replicable teaching materials, teacher guidance tools, and strong district coordination helped overcome many issues. COVID protocols were strictly followed during field visits.

Outcomes

• Quantitative
  • Reached 3 lakh students and engaged 4700 Mentor Teachers.
  • Covered approximately 19,000 villages.
  • Connected 50,000 students digitally via WhatsApp and YouTube.
  • Independent data confirm ALMP’s effectiveness: nearly 96 % of participating high‑school students reported academic progress, with girls notably benefiting through reduced household workload and consistent instruction.
• Qualitative
  • Students developed routines, retained core competencies, and improved confidence. Teachers reported students were school-ready. Girls especially benefited by staying connected to education at home. Communities witnessed stronger bonds between students, teachers, and parents.
  • Several features underpin ALMP’s success: rapid rollout after school closures, a strong mentor-teacher network reaching remote villages, culturally sensitive and multi-grade teaching methods, and psycho-social support. This has not only preserved learning outcomes but also strengthened community bonds and teacher capacity.
• Monitoring and evaluation
  • Monitoring was conducted through dashboards, daily reporting, and third-party assessment by UNICEF. Feedback loops were institutionalised, and performance data was analysed at district and state levels to refine strategies.

Beneficiaries

The primary beneficiaries were tribal and SC students from Class I to X, particularly from low-resource, rural backgrounds. Secondary beneficiaries included teachers and parents who received guidance and support during this period.

Replicability / Scalability / Sustainability

ALMP is easily scalable as it relies on existing human and digital infrastructure. The involvement of the community ensures sustainability. It also provides a model for other Indian states or even global contexts where educational disruption is a concern.

• Policy Integration
  • The programme is now considered a policy benchmark for emergency education responses in Odisha. Its integration within the state’s education framework ensures that it remains an institutional tool for future crises.
• Financial Sustainability
  • The projected expansion budget was ₹300 lakh. By leveraging existing resources, the programme maintained cost-effectiveness and financial viability.
• Replication
  • Given its success and simplicity, ALMP’s model has high replicability. It aligns with broader national goals of inclusive education and digital empowerment while being adaptable to different local contexts.

Presentation

Video

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