Tribals tutored in traditional, modern education

Mysore, Aug 6 (UNI) Initiatives aimed at educating tribals generally focussed on school curriculum, thus making them illiterate on traditional knowledge unique to their clan. But, the efforts of an NGO in this district to strike a balance between the two has paid rich dividends.

Villagers along the banks of river Kabini bordering Kakanakote forest, falling under the Nagarahole National Park, have been enlightened about the fruits of education by Deed, an NGO conducting community owned education programmes.

Holding on to the ladder extended by Deed, tribal children get their hunger for education satiated, while picking up nuances of traditional life sustaining skills from their elders and the school.

''If both the realms are not attended to, there is the possibility of the children dropping out from school. Besides, these kids are vulnerable to child labour,'' Deed Director S Sreekant told UNI.

Apart from the school curriculum, the children, exposed to nature, are taught about herbal medicines and their use in daily life. They are also imparted skills in collecting uncultivated food items available in forest. Besides, pedagogy books such as 'Jennudi Kaliyuku', 'Hejjenu' and 'Adivasi Baduku Bhavane' have been distributed to the children.

Masthamma, a tribal herbal practitioner from Hebbal Hadi (village), is providing herbal knowledge to children in schools.

A State Government awardee for her remarkable achievements in providing traditional health services to rural people and tribals, she organises exhibitions on herbal medicines in schools for the benefit of children and residents of the village.

The determination of the students, project support and encouragement from parents have enabled the tribals to script their own success story. As many as 25 tribal students, including eight girls, have joined PUC in Hunsur and H D Kote taluk in the district after successfully completing SSLC examinations. Some of them even passed with first class marks, braving many odds. While a few students have opted for science, a majority have evinced interest in arts subjects.

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