Challenges and Initiatives for Continuing Formal Education among Tribes (A Study of Northern Andhra Pradesh)

The study focuses on the problems of the continuing education and the initiatives taken to reduce the dropout among the tribal students of Northern Andhra Pradesh. Though dropout is a universal phenomenon, when seen in Indian tribal context, it is alarming. The study intended to find out from the parents, teachers, students, village elders and dropouts themselves concerning the reasons or factors influencing the dropout and initiatives to be taken to minimize the dropout rate among the tribal children. The results show that the students face academic difficulties, inconvenience for education, poor family conditions, language problems, peer group pressure, insufficient job opportunities and problems relating to using electronic gadgets. It is also found that more initiatives to be taken with regards to convenience or transportation for education, over-coming academic difficulties, to be cautious in use of social media and mobile gadgets, and to look for vocational or skilled training for job opportunities.