Mangalagiri: The Girijana Vidyarthi Samakhya (GVS) has appealed to the Commissioner and Director of School Education to immediately review and address the difficulties faced by ST students in Girijana Thandas and tribal habitations due to the implementation of GO Ms No 117. GVS said that the current rationalisation of primary schools is leading to high dropout rates among tribal children. In a letter addressed to the education authorities, founder president of GVS Vaditya Sankar Naik acknowledged the government’s noble intent to strengthen school education, increase enrolment, reduce dropouts, and improve quality education.

However, the organisation highlighted severe implementation flaws at the field level, particularly concerning the categorisation and location of schools in tribal areas. He pointed out that many primary schools in tribal regions, which should fall under the ‘Basic Primary Schools’ category due to their geographic isolation and backwardness, have been shifted to distant locations. As a result, young ST students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades are now compelled to travel 2-3 kilometres, often through hilly terrain, to reach their schools. He cited specific instances, noting that these issues have been reported from various tribal habitations in ASR District, Kurnool, and other districts.

The organisation’s president, K Raju Naik, personally witnessed these difficulties during field visits, and the concerns have also been highlighted in the print media. A stark example provided was Lotheru Panchayat in Araku mandal of ASR district, where 11 primary schools have been closed due to the rationalisation of teachers based on the new primary school structure.

Raju Naik urged the authorities to bestow personal attention on the matter and critically review the state of primary schools in tribal areas across the state. He requested suitable remedial steps, including relaxing existing conditions for tribal areas as a special case, to safeguard tribal education and ensure ST students can become “global citizens with a bright future on par with mainstream students.” GVS State President K Raju Naik, along with Vikranth Naik, Hanumanthu Naik, Chandu, Dhurga Naik, and Ranga Naik, participated in raising these concerns.