Context

The beneficiaries of the educational programs have been the social groups which are not necessarily disadvantaged. The last the lost and the least people are always disadvantaged Different theoretical frames were developed to understand the reasons. For example, the Critical theorists saw the, social structure as a reason and hence they advocated the need of transformative education. The structuralists identified the fault of top down approach to planning and hence promoted bottom-up approach. And yet the problem exists. In this context, without going to discuss in the theoretical understandings, I have identified some of the educational problems of the indigenous people, tribal community, and minority groups. At the same time, I have proposed a number of educational programs for them.

Educational Problems and Remedial Programs

Identified Problems

For Indigenous and Tribal People

Unchallenged socio-politico-religious leaders and Service agencies

For Minority Groups

Unharnessed socio-religious understandings, and abiding version of the religious texts

Proposed Programs

Organization of sessions with socio-politico-religious leaders and service agencies to
(a) understand their ideals, ideas, and values towards indigenous and tribal people
(b) challenge their ideals, ideas, develop their people's programme
(c) watch them in the community
(d) ask them to reflect with the community people
(e) prepare them to re-plan and implement their plan

Development of community discussion sessions to explore people's understandin2s' and abiding version of the religious texts. As a follow up to these discussion sessions, there should be re-reading, re-understanding, and re-interpreting sessions to contextualize people's understanding

Hesitance to be a part of the stream society

Organization of spot discussion session. For example, the community can be taken to school to observe the situation. After observation, there should be (a) reflective sessions with the community , people (b) reflective sessions with the people of the mainstream society (c) cross community discussion sessions

Lack of cultural capital

Creation of cultural capital through (a) comparative video show (b) reflection sessions (c) observation tour (d) community sharing session (e) opportunity exploration for literate-people of the community (f) dialogue/discourse session at the community on local value (g) Persuasion by the influential people (h) playing cassettes song

at public places (i) creation of educational stage (j) literalizing the community environment through wall painting, village miking, postering etc. (k) discussing social issues from different perspectives

Long literacy schedule

Development of varieties of literacy packages such as (a) camp literacy (b) month literacy (c) regular literacy (d) self taught literacy (c) peer taught literacy

Alien textbooks

Development of reading materials at the program sight by (a) producing learners generated materials (b) producing local elite generated materials © asking local volunteers to copy or print materials at the site

Alien pedagogy

Integration of traditional and modern pedagogical process by (a) identifying the persons who generate, distribute, and control knowledge in the community (b) passing the modem knowledge in the indigenous pedagogical process (c) exploring the points where the modern pedagogical process enriches the traditional process (d) clearing the indigenous values of the community by linking them with the modern values

Partially addressed program

Development of educational programs for all ages. For example (a) early childhood education for pre-school goers (b) school tuition program for school goers (c) alternative schooling program for non-school goers (d) oracy programs for oral learners (e) written literacy programs for interested learners

One shot literacy program

Development of learning web at the local level by (a) preparing community volunteers/school teachers/students to develop elite generated learning materials, EGLM at the local level (b) asking local elites to make copies of their EGLM for the learners of the community (c) linking literacy learners with the reading material producers

Lack of venue to show learner's ability

Development of literacy corners at the local festivals, haat bazaar by

(a) exhibiting LGM and EGLM-

(b) organizing let us listen

leamer's voice program (c) exhibiting learner's write-ups

Inadequate link of beaming with earning

Distribution of mini-earning

packages as a prize to the literacy learners. These packages could be (a) couple of chickens (b) vegetable seedlings (c) community goats (d) group's revolving fund

Inadequate follow-up

Development of institutional link by (a) promoting educational institutions for open learning programs at the local level (b) promoting local service agencies for focused extension program (c) linking volunteers to the learners

Implications

In order to put the idea into practice, 1 have developed a group specific programs for Dalit (culturally untouchable caste) and Muslim communities (see attachments). Some of these programs are being experimented by the research center called CERID (where 1 do work) in Nepal. Student's unions of the five colleges are mobilized for this purpose. The student union of each college will do research in a Dalit community, share their findings with other students, and thus create Dalit awareness among the non-Dalits. The approach to Muslim education is different. 1 have collected some of the quotations from the holy Koran and the Hadis. The quotations are translated into Nepali. In the box, there are some challenging questions (see attachments). These papers are hanged in the Muslim houses. They, with the help of literate people, the household will go through the hanged paper and be able to understand the importance of education that is already written in the holy Koran and the Hadis. Once, they will understand the importance of education in their religion, there will be literacy classes organized by the local NG0s. This is how working with educationally disadvantaged groups such as indigenous people, tribal community, and minority groups.