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Journal of SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK August 2013Journal ofSCHOOL SOCIAL WORK August 2013

ISSN: 0976-3759 ISSN: 0976-3759Volume X Issue 3

The articles in this issue may be quoted as: Author, initial (2013): Title of Article,Journal of School Social Work, X-03, pp XX.


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A National School Social Work monthly dedicated to networking of parents and teachers.

Price Rs 20.00

Journal of

School Social Work

Note: Views expressed by the contributors are not

necessarily the official view of the Journal.

Journal of School Social Work,8 (New 14), Sridevi Colony,

Seventh Avenue, Ashok Nagar,

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C o n t e n t s

Volume X Issue 3 A u g u s t 2 0 1 3 Page

Focus: Needs of Tribal Children

Honorary special editor:

Rani Manda,(Ph D),

Assistant Director, TCR and TI,

Tribal Welfare Department, Hyderabad-28

Editorial

Essentials of School Social Work

Tribals Education and Health The Magic Link

Educational Needs of Tribal Children

Tribal Health, Education and Welfare: Closing the Gap

Self-Help Groups of Scheduled Tribes

Health Development in India from Global Perspective

Rani Manda

Dr Laxmi

Dr Kumar Caroline Priya andDr Seenivasan P

Sundaravalli T

Merlin Sasikala J E

Dr Ramakrishnan N

Dominic Savio A, Valli Suresh and Dr Fatima Vasanth

02

03

09

13

17

23

25

Focus for September 2013: PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESSHSE: Dr Nirmala DAssistant Professor in the Department of Social Work , Bharathidasan University

The articles in this issue may be quoted as: Author,

initial (2013): Title of Article,Journal of School Social

Work, X-03, pp XX.

For example:Dr Laxmi (2013): Essentials of School Social Work,

Journal of School Social Work, X-03, pp 03-08.

Dr Laxmi (2013): Essentials of School Social Work,


Dr Kumar Caroline Priya and Dr Seenivasan P (2013):

Tribals Education and Health The Magic Link,Journal

of School Social Work, X-03, pp 09-12.

Sundaravalli T(2013): Educational Needs of Tribal Chil-

dren,Journal of School Social Work, X-03, pp 13-16.

Merlin Sasikala J E (2013): Tribal Health, Education and

Welfare: Closing the Gap,Journal of School Social Work,

X-03, pp 17-21.

Dr Ramakrishnan N (2013): Self-Help Groups of Scheduled

Tribes,Journal of School Social Work, X-03, pp 23-24.

Dominic Savio A, Valli Suresh and Dr Fatima Vasanth(2013): Health Development in India from Global

Perspective,Journal of School Social Work, X-03, pp 25-

32.

When you submit articles you can quote your own

articles published earlier in JSSW, if relevant. Please

send the references in APA style.

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Tribal Childrens Health: Miles to GoEditorial

Children are the Nations future.They have enough time left to eat andenjoy good things including health. Buttribal children in India are subjectedto a variety of constraints. The tribalpopulation of the state constitutedabout 7% of the total population. Thisrepresents some of the mostmarginalized and vulnerable sectionsof society today. There is an urgentneed for their upliftment. Tribal areasare marked by high infant andmaternal mortality rate due to thetraditional belief system on health anddiseases and their health-seekingbehaviour. The changing social and

physical environment around themforce a situation where theseperceptions get favourable conditionsto proliferate affecting the health ofchildren grossly. Due to their strongbelief in traditional system of healing,the tribals are not able to accessmodern medical and health services.The problems of malnutrition, foodscarcity during lean seasons, low

agricultural productivity are adding totheir vulnerability. The literacy level isalso significantly low compared to thegeneral areas. The vulnerabilityresults in outbreak of epidemics ofmalaria, diarrhoea, jaundice, typhoidand respiratory infections wheneverthe seasonal conditions coupled with

socio-economic conditions turnunfavourable to them.

In order to combat health problemsof tribal children the existing healthsystem needs to be reorganized andreoriented to deliver expandedmandate of health care involvingprevention, surveil lance andmanagement of chronic diseasesalong with provision of primary andsecondary health care. Improving thenutritional status of pregnant womenand children through the existinganganwadi centres have to beincreased especially covering theinterior and inaccessible habitations

of scheduled areas.Editorial consultants note:Our 11th plan document (Volume

II) has categorically stated that ourrural health care system is inshambles (p 61). Union ruraldevelopment minister Jairam Rameshhad also stated that the public healthsystem in the country had collapsed(TOI, 17-12-2012) and in many parts

of the country it simply does not existas a result of which women,scheduled castes and tribes suffer.We do hope that planning commissionand ministers will not be content withmaking doleful utterances but willensure good health for the tribal folk,especially the children.

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Essentials of School Social WorkLaxmi *

* Dr Laxmi, Assistant Professor, DOS in Social Work, Pooja Bhgavath Memorial

Mahajana P G Centre, Mysore, Karnataka

Introduction:Social work services were first

established in the schools of Boston,Hartford and New York in 1906 to1907, under the sponsorship ofcommunity agencies in those cities.The public school system ofRochester, New York, in 1914 becamethe first system to finance schoolsocial work from its regular budget.In the 1920s the Common WealthFund supported a school social workdemonstration project in 30

communities widely distributedthroughout the country.

Support from National Institute:

The National Institute of MentalHealth (US) supported training forschool social work vis--vis stipendsfor students and instructional costs forteachers in universities and for thesocial work practicum. School socialworkers are an extended arm of the

educator in fulfilling educationalobjectives. The social worker acts asa consultant as well as a counsellor.He or she shares his or herknowledge with pupils, teachers,parents, and other supportingdisciplines. His or her specialcontribution and strength are the

pattern and character of practice-direct and indirect uniquely identifiedwith the profession of social work(Skidmore and Milton, 1982).

What can social workers do?

School social work is aspecializedarea of practice within the broad fieldof the social work profession. Schoolsocial workers bring uniqueknowledge and skills to the schoolsystem and the student servicesteam. School social workers areinstrumental in furthering the purpose

of the schools: to provide a setting forteaching, learning, and for theattainment of competence andconfidence. School social workers arehired by school districts to enhancethe districts ability to meet itsacademic mission, especially wherehome, school and communitycollaboration is the key to achievingthat mission. (School Social Work

As soci at ion of Amer ic a, 20 05).Educational research has focused onthe following five topics and will likelyto have a direct and continued impacton school social work practice:

(1) Integrated intervention effortsthat emphasize primaryprevention;

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(2)Early screening andintervention;(3) Approaches to intervention thattarget multiple risk factors in home,school, and community settingsand involve parents, teachers, andadministrators;

(4) Approaches that seek toimprove individual and systemfactors contributing to academicsuccess; and(5) Data-informed decision makingand intervention fidelity. Thesepolicy, research, and practicethemes are reflected in thesestandards (National Association ofSocial Workers, 2012).

Social work related problems: The high dropout rate,particularly in high schools is amajor problem and a challenge tothe society. School crimes are rapidlyincreasing. Many of the problems of youthsin schools can be handled on aone-to one basis. Case work is

one of the effective methods to dealwith individual students problems.Many children feel comfortable toventilate their problems in privacy.Social workers can make use ofcase work method to solve theproblem of the children.A group approach is indicated

for others. Group work method isalso an effective method to dealwith the problems of children.Group work can be used as a platform for academically weakstudents to exhibit their talents andto become active.

The teachers can handleclassroom problems inconsultation with social workersfrequently for solution.Social work value in schools:

Social work recognizes theworth and dignity of each humanbeing. In school each child(student) is regarded as a uniqueindividual irrespective of his/her

differences. Each pupil is valuedand potentialities of each pupil isidentified and given a platform tobring out their talents.Social work promotes right toself-determination or self-realization. Students are givenfreedom to make their own choicesand will help in understanding theirself. Students will be helped to

know what their strengths andweaknesses are. This helps inmaking right choices about theirlife.Some parents enforce theirdecisions on their childrenregarding their career. This givesrise to failure in the life and the child

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may end up with psychologicalproblems.Respect for individual potentialand support for an individualsaspirations to attain it. Every childhas a potential and capacity.School social work helps inidentifying individual potentials andhelps them in attaining it. Somechildren may not be good at studiesbut may be very good at otheractivities like painting and drawingsinging. Such children can behelped by the school socialworkers to attain it.Children with learning disabilitiesshould be recognized and

intervention should be supportingsuch pupils to meet theireducational goals. Each child in theschool should be respectedirrespective of their learning rates.The right of each individual isdifferent from every other and is tobe accorded respect for thosedifferences. As human beings wehave many differences as far as

ideas, thoughts, capacities and soon are concerned. We cannotcompare one person with the otherbecause all of us are unique andthat uniqueness should berespected.Each child, regardless of caste/class, race and socioeconomic

characteristics, has a right to equaltreatment in the school. Schoolsocial workers must work in thedirection of provision of equaltreatment to every child in theschool.Tasks for the social workers:

Social workers have various tasksto perform in the school setting for theintegrated development of thechildren.Social workers can help theteachers to identify the differentlearning needs in children.Each child is unique and learningneeds of each child varies basedon its interest, intelligence level and

motivation. Our educationalsystem is not need-based andfailed in arousing the interest of thechildren. Social workers can helpteachers in understanding theunique qualities of the children andhow well they can adopt innovativeand creative techniques to makelearning interesting.

Social workers can assist theteachers in promoting enrichedlearning environment. If thelearning environment is conduciveand threat free, children can enjoylearning. Teachers can be sensitizedabout the need for enriched

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learning environment by adoptingcreativity and innovation for theoverall development of thechildren.Some techniques of learning canbe taught to the teachers to makethe learning environment enriched

and effective l ike practicallyteaching the children about asituation by taking them to the fieldby showing and doing things.Play is one of the important areathat is to be focused to promotelearning among the children asthey enjoy and learn.Social workers can l help themanagement in designing school

curriculum, especially in youngeryears, keeping in mind thedevelopmental and learningprocesses in children. Childfriendly curriculum is need of thehour. If the curriculum is learningby doing, children will enjoy andshow interest in learning. Socialworkers can play vital role indesigning attractive, innovative and

creative curriculum to make thelearning process enjoyable to thechildren. Interactive and cooperativelearning among the children shouldbe promoted by setting up groupsand focusing on specific areas.Social workers can facilitate such

processes by helping the teachersto form groups to facilitate grouplearning and focusing on specificareas like environment, currentaffairs, political situations and soon.Helping teachers in planning

transition for children from oneacademic setting to another is oneof the important tasks of socialworkers. Usually children of pre-primary sections find it difficult toadjust to the new teacher andsection. Such children need to behelped to accept the changes.

Ano ther impor tant transitio n ischange of school which can create

confusion in the minds of thechildren and they may find it difficultto cope with the situation. Socialworkers can help the teachers inhelping these children by involvingthem in various activities.Social workers can formulate theprocesses that can be incorporatedwithin the school setting andimprove academic as well as

overall performance of the children.Field-based suggestions:Serve on student support teamsand special education committeesat assigned schools in the division.(This is a practice in US).Document and review studentrecords to identify previous barriers

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and/or interventions.Conduct parent interviews toacquire socio-developmentalinformation as needed for specialeducation referrals.Ana lyze infor mation ga ine dthrough record reviews andinterviews to determineenvironmental impacts andappropriate resource needs;integrate gained information into awritten report and oral presentation(documentation).Interview students and parentsto discuss issues related to non-attendance and develop a plan ofaction.

Assis t the school in followingschool board regulations forexcessive absences and truancy;attend student support teammeetings and court intervention (adistant dream in India). Develop and implementprofessional development trainingfor educational staff and parents,as requested.

Provide individual and/ or groupcounselling in response to school-wise crises.Respond to referrals requestingverification of residence (In US). Participate in professionaldevelopment activities aimed atcurrent trends and best practices

for the provision of comprehensiveschool social work services. Conduct home visits as amethod to access the family andconduct interviews in response toschool referrals.Maintain an ongoing liaison withcommunity agencies and otherresources to meet student needs;refer parents and student toagencies when appropriate.Inputs for a social worker:1. The social worker shouldfacilitate the provision of directeducational and social services topupils and provide direct socialwork services to the needy.

2. The social worker should act asa pupil advocate, focusing upon theurgent needs of at-risk groups.3. In consultation with schooladministrators identify a problemsituation toward which a plannedservice approach will be aimed,develop cooperative workingrelationships with communityagencies, and assist in the

formulation of school policy thatdirectly affects the welfare ofchildren and young persons.4. In consultion with teacherscreate a climate in which childrenare free and motivated to learn(For example, facilitating the useof peers to help a troubled child, or

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assisting in other aspects of the artof managing a classroom).5. Organize parent andcommunity groups to channeleffectively concerns about pupilsand school and to act as aconstructive force in relation to the

school and community.6. The social worker shoulddevelop and maintain a productiveliaison between the school andcritical fields of social work andlegal practice (child welfare,corrections, community mentalhealth, and legal services for thepoor) in order to facilitate moreeffective community services for

school children and their families,assist with planned change in thecommunitys organizational patternof social welfare programmes andresources, and act as a catalyst tothose agents in the communitywhose function primarily is tochange the pattern of the socialstructure of society.7. Finally, the social worker should

provide leadership in thecoordination of interdisciplinaryskills on behalf of pupils among

pupil services personnel l ikeguidance/ career counsellors,psychologists and nurses.Conclusion:

Social work in school setting is theneed of the hour. Social workmethods like case work and group

work play important roles in helpingchildren in difficult situations. Thereis an urgent need to sensitize theschool authorities (both government-aided and private) to understand theneed for social workers in schoolsetting. School is the importantplatform in the process of childdevelopment, hence a conduciveenvironment for learning should be

promoted.Social workers can help both

teachers and school authorities inidentifying the problems of childrenand help them in coming out of thoseproblems. Retired police personneland ex-service men can be employedto keep vigil in school to bring downschool-related violence by thechildren and on the children. The

Government should appoint schoolsocial workers in every state toexclusively serve the tribal children.

References:

Costin, Lela B (1978): Social Work Services in Schools: Historical Perspectives

and Current Directions. Washington D.C.: N.A.S.W. Continuing Education Series

# 8. 1978.

Skidmore Rex A and Thackeray Milton G (1982): Introduction to Social Work,

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

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Tribals Education and Health The Magic LinkKumar Caroline Priya*

Seenivasan P***Dr Kumar Caroline Priya, Assistant Professor, Department of Community

Medicine, Stanley Medical College and Hospital, Chennai.

**Dr Seenivasan P, Head of the Department, Department of Community Medicine,

Stanley Medical College and Hospital, Chennai.

Introduction:In India, 573 groups have been

recognized as scheduled tribes. Theyform around 9 per cent of the totalIndian population and approximately87 million Indians are included. NineStates Andhra Pradesh,Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand,Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,Orissa, Rajasthan, and West Bengal

together account for 80% of the totaltribal population in India. (1)Tribal group is not homogenous.

These tribal groups are scattered overvaried ecological and geo-climaticconditions namely hill, forest anddesert regions with different culturaland socioeconomic backgrounds.Socialization among them is generallyendogamous and they identify morewith people belonging to their owntribe than with other people in theirown village.

Challenges in tribal health care:There are several challenges

faced by the health service providersin tribal areas to provide proper andtimely services, such as:

Refusal of preventive measures,Non-affordability of treatment, Inaccessibility to health careservices due to difficult terrain,Delayed approach to healthcare due to traditional and culturalbeliefs about health/ disease, Non-availability of qualifiedhealth workers and professionalmedical and paramedical s taff who

are committed to the cause.Disease burden:Tribal communities are vulnerable

to many health problems namely,1. Communicable diseases:

Many infectious diseases like,tuberculosis, hepatitis, sexuallytransmitted diseases (STDs),malaria, filariasis, diarrhoea anddysentery, jaundice, parasiticinfestation, viral and fungal

infections, conjunctivitis, scabies,measles, leprosy, cough and cold,HIV/AIDS are prevalent amongtribal population.2. Non-communicable diseases:

Problems like liver cirrhosis due toexcessive consumption of country

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l iquor, hypertension due toincreasing intake of salt, oralcancer due to regular betel nutchewing, chronic respiratorydiseases due to excessivesmoking, malnutrit ion andnutritional deficiency disorders like

iron deficiency anaemia, iodinedeficiency disorders, vitamin Adeficiency are common.3. Genetic diseases:

Hereditary haematologicaldisorders such as thalassemia,haemophilia, glucose-6-phosphatedehydrogenase enzyme deficiencyand colour blindness,chromosomal aberrations,

congenital malformations, inbornerrors of metabolism, areencountered among the tribalpopulations.4. Reproductive health:

High infant mortality rates, highmaternal mortality rate, high fertilityrates and low life expectancy arecommonly seen among tribalpopulation. Unhygienic and

primitive parturition practices areresponsible for high maternalmortality. Respiratory diseasesaccount for a high infant mortalityInadequate vaccination, lack ofearly diagnosis and treatment andpoor or non-existent follow-upexacerbate the problem. (2)

Role of female literacy:

Education has a major role inhuman development; this isparticularly true of female education.

Evidence has been documentedthat maternal education is animportant determinant of fertility, infant

and child morbidity and mortality.Studies (3-6) have shown that,Children of women who areliterate have a reduced risk ofmalnutrition, Children born to educatedmothers have lower risk ofmortality,Educated women have earlierand more effective use of health

service, They are more likely to beassertive and to play greater rolein intra-family decision making infavour of their childrens need,Their husbands tend to be moreeconomically better off, thanhusbands of uneducated women.Tribal girls level of literacy:

While the overall literacy rate in

India is 64.8%, the level of literacyamong tribals is estimated to be47.1 %, among tribal women it isonly 14.5 % (ranging from as lowas 7.5% to 35.7% in variousdistricts). (7)Among the tribal communi ty,tribal girls form the most neglected

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group, and are least likely to beeducated.An estimated 37% of girls aged714 belonging to the lowestcastes or tribes do not attendschool. Tribal girls account for amere 18% of the total girls enrolled

at school, and their dropout rate isas high as 67%. In many tribal communities,parents give minimal importance totheir daughters education due toeconomic and social limitations.They send them to school onlyintermittently and keep the girlssheltered from the outside world. Most gir ls, take part in

agricultural activities, collect forestproducts and are engaged insibling care. They are forciblypulled out from schools, becomechild labourers and many never toreturn to education. Tribal girlsconstitute majority of the migrantchild labour working in cotton fields.Improving literacy of tribals(8): Setting up schools in tribalhabitations for non-enrolled anddrop-out children, Monitoring attendance andretention of children,Textbooks in their own mothertongue for children,Suitably adapted curriculum andlearning materials for tr ibal

students,Special training for non-tribalteachers to work in tribal areas,Employing community teachers,School calendars in tribal areasappropriate to local requirementsand festivals,

Crches in each school in tribalareas so that the girls are relievedfrom sibling care responsibilities,Providing residential schools,hostels. Providing supplementarynutrition and health monitoring ofchildren attending schools.Existing Government schemes:Government schemes such as the

National Programme for Education ofGirls at Elementary Level is beingimplemented in educationallybackward blocks where the level ofrural female literacy is less than thenational average and the gender gapis above the national average andKasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya forsetting up residential schools at upperprimary level for girls belongingpredominantly to the SC, ST, OBC andminority communities are in vogue.

Other interventions under theSarva Shiksha Abhyan include

Aanganwadis and Balwadis in eachschool in tribal areas so that girls donot have to take care of their youngersiblings.

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Some NGOs run educationalcentres that are residential in nature.These schools provide apart fromformal education vocational traininglike soap making, bamboo work,embroidery, s titching, and life-skillsprogrammes to enhance confidence

of the girls.In Rajasthan, community schools

that hired part-time workers to escortgirls to school, had higher enrollment,attendance, and test scores thanpublic schools.

Conclusion:Mother is the provider of primary

care that the child needs during thefirst 6 years of its life, but the type of

care she provides, depends to a large

extent on her knowledge andunderstanding of certain aspects ofbasic nutrition and healthcare and thatshe herself had enjoyed during herchildhood.

Education improves theknowledge of mothers concerning

legal age of marriage, contraception,nutrition, prevention and treatment ofdiseases, and educated mothers tendto delay and have their child at a laterage than uneducated women.

Education of the tribal girl child hasa great influence in reducing thematernal and infant mortality rates,increasing maternal and child health.It culminates in better health status for

the tribal community as a whole.References:

1Shweta Bagai, Neera Nundy (April 2009): Tribal Education a Fine Balance.

2Balgir R S (Year): Tribal Health Problems, Disease Burden and Ameliorative

Challenges in Tribal Communities with Special Emphasis on Tribes of Orissa,

Proceeding of National Symposium on Tribal Health, pages 161-176.

3Sufiyan MB, Bashir SS, Umar AA (2012): Effect of Maternal Literacy on

Nutri tional Status of Children Under 5 Years of Age in The Babban-dodo

Community Zaria City, Northwest Nigeria.Ann Nigerian Med2012;6:61-4.

4Bhuiya A, Zimicki S, Dsonza S (1986) : Socioeconomic Determinants in Chi ld

Nutritional Status: Boys versus Girls.Food Nutr Bull1986;8:3-7.

5Victtora CG et al. (1986): Risk Factors for Malnutrition in Brazilian Children:

The Role of Social and Environmental Variable. Bull World Health Organ

1986;64:299-309.

6Parul Christian et al (1989): Socioeconomic Determinants of Child Nutritional

Status in Rural and Tribal India, Ecology of Food and Nutrition ,vol23, issue1,

1989,31-38.

7Salil Basu (2000): Dimensions of Tribal Health in India,Health and Population-

Perspectives and Issues 23(2): 61-70, 2000.

8Vinoba Gautam (2003): Education of Tribal Children in India and the Issue of

Medium of Instruction: A Janshala Experience, 2003.

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Educational Needs of Tribal ChildrenSundaravalli T *

*Sundaravalli T, M.Sc.(zoo), M.Sc. (Psy), M.Ed., NET, FCECLD, Assistant professor in

Psychology, St. Justins College of Education, Madurai 9

Introduction:

Tribes are found in all thecountries of the world and in all states

of India. Currently there exist between258 and 540 scheduled tribes in India.The quality of life of tribal peopleduring pre-independence period wasmore deplorable and their mainoccupation was hunting, gathering ofwood and forest products andprimitive shifting cultivation. Due todestruction of forest and non-availability of proper facilities, tribal

were forced to lead a miserable life.After independence with the adoptionof Indian constitution in 1950 specialattention was given for the upliftmentof the tribal people under article 48.It is mandatory on the part of the stategovernment to make all efforts toimprove economic, social, andeducational standard of the tribalpeople. India is the home to a largenumber of tribes with population ofabout 70 million.

Distribution of the tribes:

In terms of geographicaldistribution about 55% of tribal peoplelive in central India, 28% in west, 12%in North-East India, 4% in South Indiaand 1% elsewhere. The tr ibal

communities are rich in their culture,tales, songs and folklore. Comparedwith the literacy rates of 29.34% for

the general population, literacy amongtribal people in India is at most 6%.The Union and the state governmentshave spent considerable sums ofmoney for tribal youths education, butthe results are far from satisfactory.The Commissioner for ScheduledCastes and Scheduled Tribes assertsthat unless exploitation of the tribalsis combated and eliminated through

education, no improvement in tribalwelfare will occur.Reason for hatred of education:

Heterogeneity is the maincharacteristic of tribals; but thischaracteristic has been dealt a deathblow due to the impact of modernity.

An impli cit stra tification system isemerging within the tribal society onthe basis of education, income, statusand power. On the one hand a fewprivileged people are reaping all thebenefits and on the other the vast bulkof tribals are suffering from povertyand privation. Moreover theseeducated elites, instead of trying toimprove the lot of the underprivilegedbrethren, are ruthlessly exploiting

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them. This has led to a situation wherethe majority of the tribals look uponthese educated babus with distasteand distrust and thus it has evoked anegative attitude towards education.With modern education have comemodern values which have clashed

with the age-old traditional values oftribal society; this has also led to thetribals being antagonistic to moderneducation. Education is one of thebasic need of tribals which acts as ameans of enhancement of capacity,wellbeing and opportunity especiallyfor communities on the periphery.Within tribal areas, education canpromote integrated development.

Educational needs children:The needs in tribal education can

be categorized as external, internal,socio-economic and cultural. Theexternal constraints are related toissues at levels of policy, planning andimplementation while internalconstraints are with respect to schoolsystem, content, curriculum,pedagogy and medium of instruction.

The third set of problems relates tosocioeconomic and cultural identity oftribals.

Policy and implementation:

The policy to promote educationalinterests of the weaker sections of thepeople, especially the scheduledcastes and scheduled tribes, has

been enshrined in our constitution asdirective principle of state policy.There are many other Governmentpolicies such as District PrimaryEducation Programme (DPEP),Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS),

Al tern at iv e an d In nova tiv e

Education(AIE), Sarva Siksha Abiyan(SSA) schemes and many otherprogrammes in the State and countrywhich promote the education of thetribal children but the main problem isthat the beneficiaries, the tribal people,are unaware of it.

NPE, 1986 and Programme ofAction (POA), 1992 recognized theheterogeneity and diversity of the

tribal areas, besides underlining theimportance of instruction through theirmother tongue and the need forpreparing teaching/ learning materialin the tribal languages. It is not yetprepared in all tribal dialects.

Infrastructure failure:

The main challenge in providingeducation to tribal children is withrespect to setting up school facilities

in small, scattered and remote tribalhabitations. The majority of thescheduled tribes live in sparselypopulated habitations in interior andinaccessible hilly and forest areas ofthe country. There arises the need forschooling facility which must beprovided within their habitation.There

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may be non-enrolled and dropoutchildren in the tribal community, so analternate arrangement should bemade in order to bring them into themainstream of education.

Attitude problem:Most of the States address the

issues related to teachers attitudewhich plays an important role inbringing down the educational level oftribal children. Teachers must be givenenough training to teach the tribalstudents with a mind of acceptanceand dedication. The teachingmethodologies must also be used instudent-friendly ways.

Transport problem:

Efficient teachers prefer to live inurban/ semiurban areas andtherefore, need to commute for 4-5hours per day to reach tribal areaschools. Instead, staff quarters canbe built or transport facility can bearranged to the particular areas.Special support to teachers must beprovided as per their needs.

Incomprehension:

Tribal children face problemswherever teachers do not speak theirdialect at all. From the perspective oflanguage, it is desirable to have a localteacher from the same tribalcommunity. Research evidence alsofavours bil ingual or multi l ingualinstruction in view of its positive

consequences for cognitivedevelopment and social interactionprocesses.Bilingual dictionaries andlocal vocabulary glossary must besupplied to the tr ibal childrenaccording to their level of study andthis has been implemented only in

very few states. Andhra Pradesh hasalready started implementing.

Failure in sociocultural front:

The educational backwardness ofmost of the tribal population is acorrelate of the generally adverseeconomic conditions under which thetribesmen labour, and cannot beattributed to a lack of funds availablefor educational institutions. The

balancing act between preservingtribal cultural identity andmainstreaming for economicprosperity can be better achievedthrough creating stronger communitycultural wealth by developing a tribalchild as an individual. Educationalcontent must encompass building lifeskills that can help integration with themainstream system.

Culturally sensitive programmesmust be included to the schooleducation that can ensure the dignityof tribal groups by providing them witheconomically viable options for life.

Some attempts should be made forlinking curriculum with the local needsof the communities. Such curriculum

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would make tribal children moresensitive to local contexts and sustainthem in their respective environmentsinstead of forcing them to move out insearch of another life.

Preservation of identity:Tribal youth, even while they study

at the secondary and college levels,should, be encouraged not to jettisontheir own cultures and to remainintegrated in their own societies. Oncethey become culturally and sociallyalienated, it is impossible for them toprotect and lead their own societiesand maintain traditions that may beessential to the viability of tribalcultures. Most tribal schools do not

blend well into the tribal environment.They are alien and often uglystructures in tribal villages. Lack ofelectricity and water results in poorschool infrastructure causing dismalsanitary conditions and lowventilation. Solar or wind energy canaddress this problem adequately.Even a well educated and comfortablyemployed tribal youth continues to

remember the cultural suffocationsand negative attitude of teachersshowered in the classroom whichremain a real social hurdle. They

neither belong to their tribal culture,nor to the national culture.

Conclusion:

The spread of education amongthe weaker sections of our society isvital as education is a prime requisitefor socio-economic development.

Marked improvements in access andto some extent in quality of primaryeducation in tr ibal areas haveoccurred, and stem from governmentand non-government init iatives.However, the number of out-of-schoolchildren continues to be severalmillions. Low literacy rates in tribalcommunities continue to indicate aneed for outreach support that tackles

issues from health to attitudes of non-tribal population. Tribal students, evenwhile they are receiving theireducation, must be trained to bededicated to the service of their ownpeople. They must be encouraged totake pride in following the tribes wayof life and preserving the culturaldifferentness which makes themunique. The educated and employed

youth must help to develop theirpeoples inner resolve to resistexploitation and to safeguard theirown rights in a democratic way.

References:

Shweta Bagai and Neera Nundy (2009): Tribal Education a Fine Balance, Mumbai:

Dasra.

http://www.hindu.com/op/2004/08/03/stories/2004080300271300.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_tribal_belt

Tribal Health, Education and Welfare:

Closing the Gap

Merlin Sasikala J E **Merlin Sasikala J E, Assistant Professor in Education, Alagappa University

College of Education, Karaikkudi-630003

Introduction:India has the largest concentration

of tribal people anywhere in the worldexcept perhaps in Africa. The tribalsare children of nature and theirlifestyle is conditioned by the ecosystem. India with a variety ofecosystems, presents a varied tribalpopulation throughout its length andbreadth. The areas inhabited by thetribal constitute a significant part of theunder developed areas of the country.

The tribals live mostly in isolatedvillages or hamlets. A smaller portionof their population has now settled inpermanent villages as well as in townsand cities. On the whole, as per roughestimates, the prominent tribal areasconstitute about 15 percent of the totalgeographical area of the country.Scheduled tribes, scheduled castesand denotified tribes constitute the

economically weakest section ofIndia.

Constitutional protection:Scheduled tr ibes, the most

disadvantaged group in India, areenlisted in Article 341 and 342 of theconstitution. In India 8% of thepopulation belongs to scheduled tribe.

But majority of them live in scatteredhabitations located in interior, remote

and inaccessible hilly and forest areasof the country. According to Article 46under Directive Principle of StatePolicy of Indian constitution, the Stateshall protect them from all socialinjustice and all forms of exploitation.The objective of such safeguards isto promote the educational, socio-cultural, political, economic andservice interest of the disadvantaged

sections of the country.Health and nutritional deficit:

The tribal communities in generaland primitive tribal group in particularhave been disease-prone in certainrespects and have little access tobasic health facilities, despite the factthat norms for establishing of sub-centres, primary health centre andcommunity health centre have been

relaxed for tribal areas. Their miseryis compounded by poverty, illiteracy,ignorance of causes of diseases,hostile environment, poor sanitation,lack of safe drinking water andtraditional beliefs. Some specialdiseases of tribal areas are sickle-cell,anaemia, tuberculosis, leprosy, G-6

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PD and reproductive tract infection.The tribal suffer from many chronicdiseases but the most prevalent arewater-borne diseases taking a heavytoll. This is mainly due to the very poordrinking water supply. Even when it isavailable in plenty, it is mostly dirty and

contaminated and consequently thetribals are easily susceptible tointestinal and skin diseases.Diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera andtape worm infection.

Growth rate:

Decadal population growth ofscheduled tribe is reported to behigher than that of the total population(26% is in STs as against 23.51% in

total population, 1991). Primitive tribalgroups, however, have lower growthrate of population. TFR (1998-99)amongst scheduled tribe is 3.06 asagainst 2.66 for others.

Maternal and infant mortality:

Reliable National as well as State-wise estimation of maternal mortalityis not available due to inadequatesample size covered in variousdemographic surveys. However,MMR is the highest in the tribal areasand most of these deaths can beprevented by improving access tofood and health care facilities andRCH services.

Infant mortality is higher in tribesas compared to non-tribes. About

79.8% of tribal children were anaemicand 50% of the children were underweight. Only 26% of the children intribal areas received all vaccines.Thus tr ibal people need specialattention for improving their health,reproductive and child health status.

Anothe r ve ry importan t pr ob lemconcerning health in the tribal areasis the addiction of the tribals to highlyintoxicating liquors and drinks.

Literacy and education:

Educationally the tribal people areat different levels of development but,on the whole, formal education madea very little impact on tribal groups. Inthe light of the past efforts it is not

shocking because prior to 1950, theGovernment of India had no directprogramme for the education of thetribals. With the adoption of theConstitution, the promotion ofeducation of scheduled tribes hasbecome a special responsibility of theCentral as well as of the StateGovernments. The total picture ofspread of education among the tribalsis not very encouraging, barring a fewtribes of north-eastern region like theKhasi, Naga, Mizo and the Garo whobenefited from the vast network ofnon-government organisations.Barring the tribal communities ofnorth-eastern region, there is still awidespread feeling among the tribals

18

that education makes their boysdefiant, insolent and alienates themfrom the rest of their society, while thegirls turn modern or go astray. Sosome of the tribal groups vehementlyoppose the spread of education intheir midst.

Economics of education:Srivastava (1968), on the basis of

his survey of educational situationamong the tribals, supports this viewby saying poor economic conditionsof tribal societies is a great hindranceto successful education. A luxurywhich they can hardly afford. Eachschool going child in a tribal family isan economic unit and contributes to

the family income. If the child is takenaway from his normal economic work,the family is deprived of the littleincome which he brings. Instead, theparents have to feed the child out oftheir earnings which further reducesthe economic stability of the family.

Need for different curriculum:

Sharma (1976) has rightly pointedout that the urban middle class

oriented educational system has gotsuperimposed on the entire nationboth in terms of its structure andcontent. In many states tribal childrenare taught through the same bookswhich form the curriculum of non-tribalchildren of the urban and rural areasof the rest of the state. Obviously, the

content of such books rarely appealsthe tribal children who come fromdifferent cultural backgrounds. Thesituation demands that their educationshould start with the teaching ofdemography, history and ecology oftheir own region, their neighbourhood

and the State.Promoting attendance:

To many observers of the situation,the problem of education in tribalareas is absenteeism. One sees alarge number of students on rolls butthe actual attendance is really low, andthe number of students passing outat the final examinations is even lower.The real problem is to create such

economic conditions as could beconducive to the students developingsufficient interest in their studies.Education being the most effectiveinstrument of empowering the sociallydisadvantaged groups, all-out effortsshould be made to improve theeducational status of these groups,especially that of the women and thegirl child. In fact, the educational

backwardness, prevalent amongstthese people, necessitates an addedthrust on their education, training andskill upgradation as it will bring forthsocial and economic empowerment.Therefore, the endeavour should beto provide suitable education keepingin view, their cultural milieu, their

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Second Five Year Plan, Welfareprogrammes of scheduled tribes haveto be based on respect andunderstanding of their culture andtraditions and an appreciation of thesocial, psychological and economicproblems with which they are faced.

So, along with various developmentalpolicies and programmes initiated toimprove the socio-economicconditions of tribal people, there isalso an urgent need to preserve andpromote various aspects of tribalculture and heritage, including theirvalues of cooperation, communityfeeling, music, dance, literature,language, festivals, religion,

indigenous technology, skills, arts andhandicrafts.Conclusion:

The impact of various povertyalleviation programmes put into actionduring the last two developmentaldecades has brought down thepoverty levels among STs. However,there has been increasing unrest

amongst the tribals and in tribal areasin the recent past due to radicalelements who are operating in someparts of the country fanning theperceived dissatisfaction with theirexisting conditions and failure toaccess benefits and facil i t ies

promised to them. There is an urgentneed to critically review the approachand strategy of tribal protection anddevelopment. If necessary strategieshave to be reoriented and changedwherever needed to ensure flow ofdevelopment benefits within a definitetime-frame and to restore their faith inthe capability of the government todeliver. In the perspectives of human

rights, the Government of India shouldtake all possible measure to protectthe tribal population from feeling low.The only way is to help their childrenfeel legitimately proud of their cultureand their ancestors tenacity topreserve it from the onslaughts offoreign invasions and technologicalinventions and passing on to them.

References:

Government of India (1961): National Committee on Development of Backward

areas,Report.p-14.Singh K S (1982): Transformation of Tribal Society: Integration Vs Assimilation

Economic and Political Weekly Vol. XVI No.33 Aug 14"P 1312-20

Madhava Menon T (1996): The Encylopaedia of Dravidian Tribes Vol 1,

Thiruvananthapuram: The International School of Dravidian Linguistics.

Bagai, Swetha. and Nundy, Neera (2009): Tribal Education a Fine Balance.

Mumbai: Dasra Publications.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs(2011): Annual Report. New Delhi: Ministry of Tribal

Affairs.

21

genius and their special needs,through: Universalisation of primaryeducation with a special focus onlow literacy pockets and on theeducationally backwardcommunities like STs.

Reaching the Unreachedthrough removal of the existingproblem of inaccessibility byproviding residential schools in theremote and the far-flung tribalareas with hostel facilities forteachers too.Extending special concessionslike free education; free supply ofbooks; uniforms/ stationery;

scholarships and fellowships. Suitable teachers with athorough knowledge of tribal lifeand culture, who appreciate thetribal way of life and value systemand speaks their language will beable to establish proper rapportwith their students.Other constraints:

Following are some of theconditions that work against educationof the tribal children:Most of the tribal languages anddialects are in the mostrudimentary stage and there ishardly any written literature. Mostof the states impart education totribal and non-tribal children alike

through the medium of the regionallanguage, which makes educationuninteresting and also hurtssentiments for his own language.

A re posi tory of fo lk lore an dliterature passed on verbally overgenerations can be documented

to preserve their culture and toprovide material for their education.School is to be situated veryclose to their villages and its siteapproved by the local people forthe result to be encouraging.School building also plays animportant role in the growth ofeducation among the tribal folk.Due to mismanagement and

sometimes financial constraints,the building is seldom suitable torun an educational institution.Most of the primary schools runin tribal areas are single teacher-managed whose presence in theschool is more an exception thana rule. The timing of school hoursshould not clash with theirimportant socio-economic activitiesand cultural events.Protection of Tribal culture:

The principle of Panchsheelspecially adopted in the approach totribal development recognize theimportance of tribal culture and theirtraditions. As pronounced in the

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22

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23

Self-Help Groups of Scheduled TribesRamakrishnan N*

*Dr Ramakrishnan N, Associate Professor in Education, Thiagarajar College of

Preceptors, Madurai-625 009

Introduction:

The Scheduled tribes populationof the country, as per the 2001 census,

is 8.43 crore, constituting 8.2% of thetotal population. The population ofscheduled tribes had grown at thegrowth rate of 24.45% during theperiod 1991-2001. More than half thescheduled tr ibes population isconcentrated in the States of MadhyaPradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra,Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat.Scheduled tribes live in about 15%

of the countrys area, in variousecological and geo-climatic conditionsranging from plains and forests to hillsand inaccessible areas.

Vision:

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs hasstate the following as vision.

To facilitate the reduction andremoval of the gap in the HumanDevelopment Indices (HDIs) of the

Scheduled Tribe population vis--visthe general population and helpempower socially, economically andpolitically the Scheduled Tribes toenable them to exercise effectivecontrol over their life style, their naturalresource base and to make informedchoices.

Mission:

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs alongwith various ministries of Government

of India is fully committed to enhancethe wellbeing of all the scheduledtribes in the country through a multi-pronged strategy as under:

1. Formulation and Promotion ofLegislative and Executiveinterventions,2. Facilitating the up gradation oflevels of administration inScheduled Areas through area and

population targeted approachesand3. Furthering the creation of basicinfrastructure for increasinglivelihood opportunities, and forproviding nutrit ional support,education, essential skills and asocial safety net for situations ofcl imatic and other distressconditions.

Pathetic condition of schools:Schools are started for educatingthe tribal children. But, most of theschools in the tribal locality remainidle. We often hear of teachersabsenteeism in those schools. Manylocal adjustments are made by theteaching fraternity like going to such

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24

schools only on alternate days,making use of the leader of the classto conduct tests and such easy ways.

Formation of social groups:

The tribal people being unique intheir culture and traditions remainalienated. They have been treated as

honey collectors and comb traders.Owing to their seclusivenessoutsiders are not able to approachthem and they are also wary of beingexploited. Hence, Governmentagencies should come forward toorganise social groups among thesetribal communities. The said group willbe trained to educate their community.They should be paid monthly salary.

Contingency funds for purchasingbooks could be released for sucheducation volunteers. Apart fromregular school activities, social groupshave to be trained in Information andcommunication technology to getconnected to other parts of thecountry. Solar power plants willprovide electricity to them in hillyterrains. This group will not only helpthem to get formally educated but alsoReferences:

Singh K S (1982): Transformation of Tribal Society: Integration Vs Assimilation

Economic and Political Weekly Vol. XVI No.33 Aug 14"P 1312-20

Madhava Menon,T (1996): The Encylopaedia of Dravidian Tribes vol 1,

Thiruvananthapuram: The International School of Dravidian Linguistics.

Bagai, Swetha and Nundy, Neera (2009): Tribal Education a Fine Balance.

Mumbai: Dasra Publications.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs(2011): Annual Report. New Delhi: Ministry of Tribal

Affairs.

inform the community about whathappens in other parts of the country.The group will empower the membersof the tribe to get all the benefits ofgovernment schemes without outsideinterference. They will eliminateradical problems, poaching, forest fire

and other threats to eco system andforests. They can also help track theanimal movement and preventaccidental straying of animals intocultivated lands.

Conclusion:

Scheduled tribes are people whosince time immemorial havecontributed for the vast forest reserveof India. They have toiled in the wild

to bring rare forest products andhave valiantly helped the police andforest officials in checking unlawfulactivities in the forest. They arepreserving our countrys rich flora andfauna. They must be empowered withinformation and communicationtechnologies to further enhance theireducation and to hone up theirtraditional skills through educatedmembers of their own tribe.

25

Introduction:

According to Cent re for GlobalHealth and Economic Development,EARTH Institute, Columbia Universitythe worlds 1.1 billion citizens are livingin poverty. The burden of disease inlow income regions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa is a major challengeto their economic growth.

At present India is the fourth largest

economy behind the US, China andJapan. In 2010 Japanese economywas worth $ 4.31 trillion and India wasworth 4.06 trillion. According to theexperts India would have overtakenJapan in 2011. Despite being the fastgrowing economy, India faces hugechallenges in reducing poverty andproviding effective health careservices to the rural and poor

population.The recent suggestion by the

Planning Commission that thosespending in excess of Rs.32 a day inurban areas or Rs.26 a day in villageswill no longer be eligible to drawbenefits of central and state

government benefits, has received asevere criticism from various sectionsof the society, including the SupremeCourt of India.

Reviewing the suggestion by thePlanning Commission,Times of IndiaSep 21, 2011 reports that if Rs.32 forurban and Rs.26 for rural being thecriteria, people should be spendingless than 44 paise on fruits, 70 paise

on sugar, 78 paise on salt and spicesand another Rs 1.51 on other foodsper day to qualify for the BPL list andfor subsidy under various governmentschemes. It clearly shows howsometimes the policy makers do notunderstand the plight of poor peoplein the country and for improving theirhealth.

Determents of health:

Nutrition, safe drinking water,sanitation and education play vital rolein determining the health of the peopleand the health of the nation.Malnutrition and Anaemia: of greatconcern is the persistent level ofmalnutrition with over 40%of children

Health Development in India from Global PerspectiveDominic Savio A*

Valli Suresh**

Fatima Vasanth****Dominic Savio A, Research Scholar, Madras School of Social Work, Chennai.

** Valli Suresh, Research Scholar, Madras School of Social Work, Chennai.

*** Dr Fatima Vasanth,Principal and Research guide, MSSW, Chennai.

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and 36% of adults women classifiedas undernourished.

Indian population:

The growth rate of population for

India in the last decade was 17.64%.The growth rate of population in ruraland urban areas was 12.18% and

31.80% respectively. Bihar (23.90%)exhibited the highest decadal growthrate in rural population.

Indias population in 1901 wasabout 238.4 mil l ion, which hasincreased by more than four times in110 years to reach a population of1,210 million in 2011

International Governments

expenditure on health:

According to the PTI (Press Trustof India) report on 17th May 2011, Indiaspends very low on health. While Indiaand the poor countries spend USD 32per capita on health it is around USD4590 in rich countries. Most Europeancountries spend about 9% -11% oftheir GDP on public health.

Table: 1

Total Expenditure on Health as

% of GDPfor some of theEuropean and South Asian

countries

European Countries %of GDP

Austria 10.5Belgium 11.1Denmark 9.9Finland 8.8

European Countries %of GDP

FranceGermanySpain

South Asian Countries % of GDP

BangladeshBhutan

IndiaIranSri LankaPakistanNepal

Source: World Health Statistics 2011Though the successive Indian

government claims to increase thehealth spending to 2% -3%, ananalysis on public spending on

health, nutrition, water and sanitationreveals that the expenditure reached1.58% in 2008-09. But the healthexpenditure alone without expenditureon water supply, sanitation andnutrition was less than 1% of GDP in2004-05. This has only gone upmarginally to 1.09% of GDP in 2008 -09, according to Health Ministry.

Global hunger and health:

Ac cord ing to World FoodProgramme (WFP) 2011 statistics,hunger is the worlds no.1 health risk.It kills more people every year than

AIDS, mala ria an d tube rcul os iscombined.One in seven people in the worldwill go to bed hungry tonight.

11.210.5

9.0

3.35.5

4.25.54.02.66.0

27

One out of four children indeveloping countries isunderweightThere are more hungry peoplein the world than combinedpopulations of USA, Canada andthe European Union.

925 million people do not haveenough to eat and 98 percent ofthem live in developing countries.65 percent of the worlds hungrylive in only seven countries: India,China, the Democratic Republic ofCongo, Bangladesh, Indonesia,Pakistan and Ethiopia.Undernutrition contributes to fivemillion deaths of children under five

each year in developing countries.Major causes for hunger arenatural disasters (flood, storm, and

drought), war, poverty, agriculturalinfrastructure and over exploitation ofthe environment. According to WFPHunger Map 2011 India is listed undermoderately high category with 20 -34% population under hunger group.

Human resources:

India will take at least 17 moreyears before it can reach the WorldHealth Organizations (WHO)recommended norm of one doctor per1,000 people reported Times of Indiaon September 27, 2011.

The table below clearly indicateshow Europe has more number ofphysicians compared to Asian and

African nations. People in Asia and

Africa need to increase the number ofhealth care professionals and improvethe health infrastructure.

Table: 2

Doctors per 10,000 populations

Source: World Health Statistics 2011

EuropeAustriaFranceGermanyGreece

ItalyNorway

47.535.035.360.0

42.440.8

Asia

BangladeshBhutanChinaIndia

PakistanSri Lanka

3.00.2

14.26.0

8.14.9

African countries

CongoBurundiEthiopiaNiger

MozambiqueUganda

1.00.30.20.20.31.2

According to WHO statistics for2011 health care professionals in Indiaper 10,000 population we have 6.0physicians, 13.0 nursing and

midwifery personnel, 0.7 dentistrypersonnel, 5.2 pharmaceuticalpersonnel and 0.5 community healthworkers.

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The urban population in India is30% and the remaining 70% of thepopulation live in rural areas. Theurban population has better access tohealth care compared to ruralpopulation since most of thephysicians and hospitals are located

in the urban areas.Global life expectancy:

The Statistics of WHO -2011brings out the fact that while theindustrialized nations have their lifeexpectancy around 80 years andmore, the developing nations arehovering around 60-70 years and it is

deeply saddening to witness thatsome of the least developed nationshave their life expectancy as low as48 years.

For example; people of Japancould live 35 years longer than peopleof Afghanistan or Central African

Republic whose life expectancy is 48years only. Such conditions in theworld calls for the attention of UN, thenations concerned, the peopleinvolved in the health sector, socialworkers, humanitarian workers andvolunteers to help the poor nations tobetter their health conditions.

Table: 3

Life expectancy in G7 and Other Nations

G7 Industrialized Developing Least DevelopedNation Nation Nation

CanadaFranceGermanyItalyJapanUnited KingdomUSA

81818082838079

BhutanIndiaIraqMyanmarNepalIndonesiaPakistan

63656664676863

AfghanistanBurundiCentral African RepublicCongoLiberiaNigerZimbabwe

48504855565749

Source: World Health Statistics 2011

Indias life expectancy has goneup to 65 years in 2009 as comparedto 61 years in 2000. The global lifeexpectancy is still higher at 68 yearsin 2009.

The average life expectancy ofmale in India is 63 as compared to 60a decade ago while female lives 66

years now. The life expectancy alsovaries across the states in India. Whilein Kerala, a person at the time of birthis expected to live for 74 years, theexpectancy of life at birth in states like

Assam, Bihar, Madhya Prades h,Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradeshis in the range of 58-62 years.

29

Global sanitation and water:While the developed nations like

Australia, Austria, Belgium,Canada,Denmark, France and Germany enjoy100% improved sanitation thepercentage of improved sanitationenjoyed by Indias neighbours

Bangladesh 53%, Bhutan 65%, China55%, Myanmar 81%, Nepal31%, Pakistan 45% and Sri Lanka91% respectively.

Though the population usingimproved drinking water in India has

gone up to 88% in 2008 the populationusing improved sanitation is only 31%.India is fighting against diseases suchas malaria, dengue, filariasis. The poorsanitary conditions do a lot of havoc inIndia. A recent survey reveals thatmore than a tenth of the schools in TN

do not have toilets. More than one-third have toilets that are unusable. Nowonder girls drop out of schools inlarge number. (Times of India, 27-06-2013, p04 contributed by editorialconsultant)

Table: 4

The Causes of Deaths in India

S.No

1

23

Causes of Death

Communicable diseases,maternal,

pre-natal and nutritional disordersNon -communicable diseasesInjuries and ill defined causes

Percentage

38%42 %20 %

Source: Annual Report to the people on health by the Ministry of Health and FamilyWelfare, Government of India, September 2010.

Table: 5

Number of Persons Affected by Communicable Diseases in India

Major Communicable

Diseases

T.B

HIVMalaria

Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES)Japanese Encephalitis (JE)

Acute diarrohea

No of people affected in 2010

1.9 Million

2.5 Million1.5 Million infected every year300 Million at the risk of getting

AES/ JEMore than 300 acute episodesoccur every year in children belowfive years of age.

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the health care. There is a growing incomedisparity and regional disparity inIndia. There are people makinghigh income while 41% of thepopulation still lives on $ 1 per day.It is also clearly witnessed that

some states are progressing fasterand benefiting the globalization andsome states are way behind inmaking progress on their economy.Health infrastructure and healthcare professionals are notsufficient for the existing populationin India. There is huge gape indemand and supply. It needs to bebridged with adequate resources.

Sanitation remains an area thatrequires great attention in India.Lack of hygiene could be a majorsource for spreading thecommunicable diseases. It leads tocontamination of drinking water.Large scale projects need to beimplemented to provide peoplebetter access to sanitation and safedrinking water. Corruption and ineffective

delivery of service are twin evilsthat plague our people. They facehurdles in getting the benefits of theprogrammes meant for them.Enhanced networking amongdoctors, social workers andgovernment agencies for

identifying individual orcommunities that require healthcare service and implementing thespecial schemes designed for theparticular disease or the regions.Conclusion:

Though the situation in India is

improving on various grounds whenit is compared to some of thedeveloped nations, Europeancountries and even with some of the

Asian countr ies India has to investmore on health, education andinfrastructure and implement effectiveand adequate health care policies tomeet the growing health concerns ofthe nation.

The civil societies and socialworkers in India today are challengingthe government on its policies andforcing it to enact effective laws andpolicies. The trend is that the people,especially the middles class voicetheir concerns over the issues in thecountry. It is significant to note thedevelopment in the country that theinequality between the rich and poor,rural and urban is on the rise. The

benefits of globalization andprivatization seem to be gettingrestricted to few regions. The cost ofhealth care service is expensive thatoften poor and rural people gountreated for the disease that iscurable and preventable. Out of

30

Health of rural population:Rural areas report more deaths

(41 per cent) due to communicable,maternal, pre natal and nutritionalconditions. The rural population ismore prone to communicablediseases such as Tuberculosis, vector

borne diseases of malaria, kal-azarand filarial and waterborne diseasessuch as cholera, diarrhoeal diseasesand the vaccinepreventable measlesand tetanus.

Governments initiatives:

We can not ignore the facts thatthe Indian government has launchedmany initiatives in the last few yearsaiming to reduce poverty, improve

health, education and infrastructure.For example, the following are someof the important Acts implemented: inareas of rural infrastructure (BharatNirman), employment (National RuralEmployment Guarantee Act),education (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan),rural health (National Rural HealthMission), and urban infrastructure(National Urban Renewal Mission).

The impact of programmes:

Over all life expectancy hasgone up to 65 years nowSmall pox and leprosy nearlyeradicatedPolio is confined to a few blocksin UP and Bihar.TB mortality has declined from

42 deaths per lakh population in1990 to 28 deaths per lakhpopulation in 2007Infant mortality ratio has comedown from 129 in 1971 to 50 in2009 per 10,000 populations.Maternal mortality was brought

down from 254 in 2004 -06 to 212in the year 2007 -09.Great work is being carried outin controlling the spread of HIV/

AIDS.Implications for social workers:

Population living on $1 per dayin India is 41.6 % in the year 2008.Out of pocket spending is 74.4%in India. Hence the poor and rural

people could not afford to gettreated even for those curable andpreventable diseases due to highrising cost of health care in privatehospitals. Even they will have toshell out money in the Governmenthospitals to buy medicines from theprivate pharmacy for medicinesthat are not available inGovernment hospitals.Governents expenditure of

1.09 % GDP on health care for 1.2billion is too minimal where assome countries spend about 10 -11% of GDP on health care. It is ofgreat concern that the governmentof India gives due attention forincreasing the annual budget on

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pocket spending is high in India.Corruption is an obstacle in way of

implementing the schemes for thepoor. India has definitely madeprogress in health care but the currentdata on health care speaks volumes

References:

Census 2011, Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India

Ministry of Home Affairs.

Five years of NRHM 2005-2010, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Himanshi Dhawan (2011): This Budget, Childrens Health Needs Attention, The

Times of India, 28.09.2011

Rudra Prakash, Manish Kumar and G S Sanya (2011): Health Infrastructure inIndia,Journal of Heal th Management, 13, 1(2011):155 -176

Ramya Kannan (2011): State Prepares to Dole out Rs.12,000 as Maternity Aid,

The Hindu, 24.06.2011

Jaya Menon (2011): Salem Women Abort on Predictions, The Times of India,

24.09.2011.

Kounteya Sinha (2011): India Hopes to Achieve WHOs Doctor-People Ratio by

2028, The Times of India, 27.09.2011.

Release of Annual Health Survey Bulletin 2010-11, Office of Registrar General,

India Ministry Of Home Affairs 10 August, 2011

Umesh Isalkar (2011): 52% Maternal Deaths Occur after Delivery , The Times of

India, 11.05.2011

World Food Programme Statistics 2011.

World Heath Statistics 2011, WHO

WHO Report Blames Poor Govt Spending for Health Problems, Press Trust of

India, 17.05.2011

on reforms and works yet to beattempted. Increasing the

Government spending on health care,to improve the health infrastructureand human resources is essential inorder to cater to 1.2 billion people.

The articles in this issue may be quoted as: Author,

initial (2013): Title of Article,Journal of School Social

Work, X-03, pp XX.

For example:





Dr Kumar Caroline Priya and Dr Seenivasan P (2013):

Tribals Education and Health The Magic Link,Journal

of School Social Work, X-03, pp 09-12.

Sundaravalli T(2013): Educational Needs of Tribal Chil-

dren,Journal of School Social Work, X-03, pp 13-16.

Merlin Sasikala J E (2013): Tribal Health, Education and

Welfare: Closing the Gap,Journal of School Social Work,

X-03, pp 17-21.

Dr Ramakrishnan N (2013): Self-Help Groups of Scheduled

Tribes,Journal of School Social Work, X-03, pp 23-24.

Dominic Savio A, Valli Suresh and Dr Fatima Vasanth

(2013): Health Development in India from GlobalPerspective,Journal of School Social Work, X-03, pp 25-

32.

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The articles in this issue may be quoted as: Author initial (2013): Title of Article Journal of School Social Work X 03 pp XX


JSSW August 2013 ISSN 0976-3759

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