Mapping performance of scheduled castes students under different learning environments in Telangana state
- IASSI Quarterly: Contributions to Indian Social Science
- 39(2), Apr-Jun, 2020: p.210-232
Provision of better early childhood learning environment plays an important role in shaping the path of educational attainment of children which in turn help in leading a productive life in future. The students belonging to socially and economically marginalised communities like SCs and STs often face difficulties in accessing better learning environment, especially at homes, mainly due to the historical disconnect of community with the education system. The government's initiative of establishing residential schools is a step towards the provision of a better learning environment to children of marginalised sections. The present study indicates that SC students studying in residential schools performed better than SC students of the non-residential schools. This implies that residential schooling managed to correct disadvantageous learning environment that SC children face at home. The study indicates that the residential schools have adopted various advanced learning methods which include participation of parents, students, teachers, community, in the learning process. Therefore, the opening of more residential/Gurukula schools would address the problem of reducing performance inequalities within SC children and between SC and other children. The study also indicates that with the given level of academic infrastructure, facilitating interactions between students and teachers, ensuring school regularities, teacher's educational and moral support to the students would further improve the learning outcome of students. - Reproduced