Originally published in 2003 by the Eklavya Foundation, this book is a seminal contribution to understanding the complex dynamics of caste-based and culture-based discrimination in the Indian society, particularly in educational institutions. The book emerged from extensive field research conducted primarily in Madhya Pradesh and offers a penetrating analysis of educational experiences. The book captures the nuanced experiences of children, parents, and teachers in great detail. The emerging picture reveals the complex negotiations that occur within educational spaces. This methodological choice proves particularly relevant as the intent is to document the lived realities rather than numbers.
The book presents a romantic view of the role of education in personal transformation, and social and political mobility. The parents try to learn more about the opportunities that their children might avail themselves of. They have high hopes regarding their children’s futures. However, the hope that the unschooled generation has in schools paints a picture that is completely different from the reality that exists inside the schools.
Based on a 14-month-long engagement with educational institutions in rural and tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh, the authors worked extensively with children from marginalized communities. The decision to focus on the educational experiences of Dalit and Adivasi communities was made to gain a deeper understanding of their educational experiences following various reforms and provisions introduced by different governments after Independence.
The book’s strength lies in its grounded approach, drawing from extensive fieldwork conducted in Harda & Ujjain districts of Madhya Pradesh. The focus was on grade 3 in primary classes, grade 6 in middle classes, and grade 9 in senior secondary classes, totalling 240 students from eight schools. Conversations were planned with parents, teachers, other community members and administrators, along with 6- to 8-month-long observations in government-provided hostels (p. 11).
The textual narrative highlights the tensions and dilemmas faced by parents and students regarding their school’s expenditure, teachers’ attitudes, administrative norms for the duration and timing of holidays and vacations, and the balancing of home responsibilities with the school’s demands. The authors reveal how Adivasi children face linguistic discrimination when their mother tongues are not only ignored but actively discouraged. The authors document how children are punished both for speaking their mother tongues and for their inability to communicate effectively in the language of instruction. This double bind creates a form of enforced silence that teachers then interpret as evidence of intellectual deficiency or lack of engagement.This linguistic discrimination extends beyond mere communication difficulties to represent a fundamental assault on cultural identity. When schools dismiss Adivasi languages and cultural practices as primitive or irrelevant, they engage in a form of epistemic violence, leading to the systematic devaluation of indigenous ways of knowing and being. There is a significant transformation of cultural consciousness under the pressure of the educational system.
The economic dimensions of educational exclusion receive particular attention, with the book documenting how poverty creates additional barriers beyond social discrimination. Families struggle with the direct and indirect costs of schooling, often forced to make difficult choices between immediate economic needs and long-term educational investments. The anecdotes reveal how these economic pressures interact with caste discrimination to create what one parent describes as a situation where children don’t learn and are discriminated against.
The analysis extends beyond simple documentation of discrimination to examine how multiple forms of marginalization intersect to create compounded disadvantages. Dalit and Adivasi girls emerge as particularly vulnerable, facing a triple discrimination based on caste, gender, and economic status. Their parents feel insecure, and the teachers blame the parents without much reflection on the systemic roots of the challenges that these girls face. Thus the challenges emerging from these intersecting identities require more sophisticated analytical frameworks.
One of the book’s most significant contribution is its analysis of how discrimination operates through teachers’ expectations, classroom interactions, and institutional practices. The authors document numerous instances where educators, who should serve as advocates for marginalized children, become instead agents of exclusion. The book reveals how teachers often harbour deeply ingrained caste prejudices that manifest in their classroom practices, from seating arrangements to academic expectations. The institutional response to discrimination receives critical examination, with the authors revealing how schools often lack robust mechanisms to recognize and address caste-based discrimination. Even when discrimination is reported, the book documents how reparative and punitive measures are never taken, creating a culture of impunity that allows discriminatory practices to continue unchallenged.
The teachers’ struggles with issues of community beliefs, cultural norms, and deficit staffing are also well-documented. The challenges include bureaucratic control, repetitive paperwork, unrealistic policies, centralized control over academic and administrative decisions, a lack of trust and respect among parents, children, and administrators, as well as contract-based appointments with low salaries. The problems become multi-fold when there are only one or two teachers in the school. Teachers often find no platform to raise these issues, and they feel voiceless, lacking a sense of agency and autonomy. Furthermore, the book shows how intersections of caste and gender dynamics create a discriminatory work environment and unprofessional conduct even with persons in superior positions. Such experiences break the spirits of even the most accomplished teachers and principals.
The systemic inequalities that perpetuate educational exclusion for India’s most marginalized communities become alive through descriptions and analysis by the researchers. It documents the lived experiences of Dalit and Adivasi children navigating an education system that continues to reflect and reinforce centuries-old hierarchies of oppression. It proves the existence of exploitative relationships based on caste, class, gender, region, and religion that we often claim to have left far behind in our quest for modernity and liberalism. The book presents these realities in such detail that it moves, incites, and shames our educated sensibilities. It presents to us a reality of communities systematically disempowered and marginalized, becoming a burning example of internal exclusion, i.e., being excluded after an apparent inclusion in the system.
Despite its focus on discrimination and exclusion, the book does not present Dalit and Adivasi communities as passive victims. Instead, it documents various forms of resistance and resilience that these communities show while navigating the difficult educational spaces. The authors reveal how families develop strategies to support their children’s education despite systemic barriers, and how children themselves develop coping mechanisms to deal with discriminatory treatment.
In an interesting chapter, the authors highlight that some parents secure simultaneous admission for their children, especially girls, to three schools. In the mornings, they attend government schools, and in the afternoons, they go to a private school. The third school is run by an NGO that provides uniforms, books, stationery, and a hundred rupees per month to students. The reasons for these are varied, including receiving free grains from the government or NGO, keeping the girls busy throughout the day, and the hope that attending two schools would improve the children’s learning. Even teachers and the Principal participate in these practices, as they need to maintain a decent teacher-student ratio to avoid being transferred to a faraway school. The shift from public to private schools has increased over the past years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many public schools were shut down, leading to learning gaps and an increased reliance on low-fee private schools that operate in public halls, such as panchayat halls or open spaces with unqualified teachers and no supervision.
There are also stories of hope and change. For example, caste discrimination was marginal in a school in Ujjain, which a mill owner had earlier managed. The school was handed over to the government on the condition that no worker or teacher would be removed or transferred from their positions. Thus, the social setting of the mill and the attitude of teachers impacted the composition and character of the school. Such cases could help us understand the impact of parents’ workplace culture on the school culture. From the same school, we also find the story of Anand, who is a third-generation school-going child. He excels in his school, and there seems to be no discrimination in his classroom. However, such a scenario seems to be an exception only. Another story of hope which the book highlights is that of the Bairwa community, which has carved out a space for itself in all aspects of public and political life through its organized efforts.
The authors’ analysis suggests potential points for intervention in reforms. Moving beyond superficial measures for inclusion, the authors call for addressing structural inequalities. They advocate for curricular reforms that incorporate Dalit and Adivasi languages, histories, and knowledge systems, challenging the hegemonic assumption that mainstream knowledge is inherently superior. The authors advocate for more comprehensive approaches that address both material conditions and sociocultural factors.
In conclusion, Dalit, Aadivasi Aur School is a significant contribution to understanding educational inequality in contemporary India. Through its careful documentation of discrimination, thoughtful analysis of structural factors, and clear advocacy for systemic reforms, the book provides both an examination of current educational practices and a roadmap for creating more equitable systems. The book prompts us to think beyond the simplistic logic of education as a commodity, service, or resource development.