About Palasi Raja Tribal School
Speaker: Dr.Nambiar
Vanavasi Ashram Trust, Palasiraja Tribal School,Kerala, India
Date: March 24, 2001, 4 PM Venue: UCSD - SanDiego
Notes Author and Contact: Ranjita Bhagwan

School for tribal children has been set up in Peria, Kerala. There are 14 districts in Kerala and Vayanad is one of the most backward with a large tribal population. Govt. of India is probably going to declare it a tribal district.

The name of the trust is Vanavasi Asram trust. The name of the school is Palasiraja tribal school.

The tribals lived well within their means and were self-sufficient.However, immigrants from other parts of Kerala came in to this area, planted coffee and tea gardens. In fact, people from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka all have plantations. The tribals depended on the forests for their livelihood, and these were fast disappearing.. There are two books written about tribals in Vayanad. The books are "Africa in Kerala" and "America in Kerala". Both written by Mr. Bhanu. The land of the tribals has been taken even to start a college. Their huts were demolished and large buildings were built instead, thus the tribals lost their original way of living, and became labourers.

Almost all tribal people are addicted to alcohol. The speaker experienced the hardships of the tribal children while he was working at Mananthavadi. So, he started the school in question. There was a small piece of land of about 1.5 acres available. The speaker purchased it and on the 18th of May, the school was started in a small thatched hut. A trust was registered with three tribal people. One of the speaker's students joined him along with two other locals. These people started the school. The hut had no electricity or phone connections. It was cold and there were heavy rains in these regions. There was no transport. With the help of the local community a small road was made. But it isn't very good in the rainy season. They get water from the mountains.

There were 119 children in the second year. But in the third year, there weren't many students. Parents are reluctant to send their children to the school for a variety of reasons. In the first year, the school didn't get much help from any source. Two AID volunteers visited it in the first year. So in the second year, they got aid from AID Pittsburgh and Boston. But it wasn't enough for 119 children. So Prof. Nambiar approached the Government. They got a grant. In the 3rd year, there were 100 students. AID Boston gave 3000 dollars. They introduced them to ASHA and get 2000 dollars for 3 years. In the 4th year, they have 213 children, 207 are tribal. Unfortunately they can't admit too many non-tribal children, because sources of funding are contingent on the school being only for tribal people. But anyway, they were forced to take a few, since these non tribals lived close to the school.

There are five tribal communities in this region. Paniyas are the most backward. Even among the tribals there seems to be a caste system. The speaker's aim was to uplift the Paniyas. He employed a Paniya lady to help in the kitchen. The Kurchiyas, who are the "highest" class of tribals, didn't eat the food. But since they were living all together, they had to ask for food from the Paniya lady. After this partially "forceful" way of putting things right, the students live together, they are very happy and there is no discrimination.

Now they have 10 teachers. Most of them are ladies. Their parents don't like them to work on certan days. There are other problems as well. The Vice chairman of the trust complained to him about his grandson being sick. They were told that it was because ladies were teaching them. J. All such problems cannot be solved completely.

The above two problems (of discrimination of the Paniyas and the teachers being ladies) are what he has to face the most.

The students are not very good in languages. But they are very good at science and maths. They have the gurukul system of education. The students have been divided into seven groups. Each teacher is responsible for one group. The group may be in charge of cooking, cleaning, etc. The practice is to get up early morning. There is a prayer session. Toilets are not very good --- 25-30 in number. 6:20:6:30 they have prayers. After the prayer, they go for cleaning,etc. 8:30 they have breakfast, most of the time, tapioca. They need 1 quintal for one meal. They have cows donated by a swamiji. 9:30 is the morning assembly. The tribal children feel restless in a classroom. So, in the beginning it was very difficult, but now, classes are held outside as well. After 3:30 they have some sport activities. Now, they play matches with outsiders! At 6:00 pm, they have a prayer session again. Then they go for studies. At 7:00pm, they watch news. A couple from San Jose visited them and they donated a TV to the school. Later, they got electricity, so they use the TV and a VCR and show them news and movies.

The school is affiliated to the HRD ministry's open school system. So this school can take them to 8th standard. So the plan is to start 9 and 10 and take them for private appearance for matriculation. Since otherwise, the students would not continue their studies.

The speaker also wants to give them some vocational training. He doesn't think the students will go on to colleges, because in Kerala they have 10 percent reservation for SC/ST in schools. But these children from the remote forest areas can't compete with students from the cities. There is no income bar. He used to take them to see the sea, which they saw for the first time.. So, they have to find some other ways that they can get some training. The option is vocational training. Things like carpentry, mat making, basket making, clay modeling, etc. The problem is that there is no money to pay the teachers, or the materials. From the second year, they started stitching and tailoring. In 3rd year, they appointed a teacher and bought a sewing machine. Last year, they had to pay 28,000 rupees for stitching and tailoring. The second thing is carpentry. Machines are not so expensive but it is difficult to find a trainer. This would cost 100 dollars per month plus food and lodging. At least 10 machines are needed. That would be 30,000 rupees. For a teacher, 2000-2500 rupees per month. . Total is 70,000 rupees. That is also a one time cost, since next year they don't need machines. But for an instructor from outside.. they would need to pay more. Nearly 98000 rupees are needed. For both vocations, it would come up to 4000 dollars per year. Since there is power, they can start a new vocation --- something like steel furniture, plumbing. About local arts, Paniyas are very good. They are very good at dance and music. Kurchiyas are very good archers.

This year, he got a grant from the Indian Government.

Q. What is the age group?

A. 5-15 some 17. Classes are divided from I to VII depending on previous performance.

Q. The Daily routine- is it for all days?

A. All week days. On holidays, they have to work sometimes.

Q. What languages are taught?

A. Mother tongue, English from I and Hindi from III.

Q. Is it difficult to communicate with the whole class?

A. Initially, but it gets better.

Q. In what standard are they able to read and write?

A. From first standard itself. Initially, it is difficult to teach them to use the toilet.

Q. Do these children live at the school?

A. Yes. Coir mats are used as beds.

Q. Is the Curriculum specified by the state or any other institution?

A. No, we buy the books ourselves.

Q. What is the current funding for?

A. Only the food and remuneration of teachers.

Q. Who works in the paddy fields?

A. Students, parents and sometimes the teachers. They have to buy the food and the fertilizers.

Q. How do the families earn money?

A. Kurchiyas cultivate. Most of them have small pieces of land. Others are labourers. Paniyas depend on forest. Katunayika depend on jungles and some of them are labourers. Kurumas are good at educations. They are not from this area. There are two kinds - general and ten. ten kurumas are very backward. Adiyas are also very poor. They depend on others for income. Kurchiyas are the elite, and have many superstitions. All of them are flesh eaters.

Q. About alcoholism:

A. The speaker has been unsuccessful in convincing people to quit.

Q. Did you get any money from CRY?

A. Three years ago they approached Madras, but didn't get any help from them. Now, he hears that they are helping such organizations in Kerala.

Q. What is the i2 money for?

A. For purchasing land, two cows and a cattle shed.

Q. What is holding back the govt. from giving grants?

A. The state govt. is not giving recognition to new schools for the last 5 years, though they are giving recognition to 11/12 and engineering colleges. It is good in a way since they can have their own syllabus, and have total autonomy.

Q. Are you writing up another proposal for vocational training?

A. Yes, for vocational training. For AID, it hasn't been submitted yet.