Primary education status of scheduled tribes in Andhra Pradesh: an assessment

Tribal communities have historically struggled to reach their full potential due to limited education and development opportunities. The UNESCO has identified tribal communities as one of its focal groups. Education for Sustainable Development aims to develop and educate impoverished communities, especially tribes. The present paper critically reviews various educational interventions and the resultant trends in the participation and learning outcomes in the domain of tribal education in India. Moreover the research study aim is to understand and identify the enrollment of primary education students by class and to analyze the enrollment of Schedule Tribal (ST) primary education students by class in both Palnadu District and Andhra Pradesh for the academic years 2022–23 and 2023–24.Additionally, it observed that the employ a mixed-methods research design, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative methods will be used to analyzeenrollment data, while qualitative methods will provide contextual insights and perspectives.The research study found that the total enrollment decreased by approximately 9.02% from 2022-23 to 2023-24 while the enrollment in Palnadu District decreased by approximately 11.36% from 2022-23 to 2023-24. It also reveals that the total enrollment of Schedule Tribal (ST) students witnessed a decrease of approximately 4.18% over the two academic years, reflecting a concerning trend. Within Palnadu District, the situation is more pronounced, with a significant decline of pproximately 11.58% in the enrollment of Schedule Tribal (ST) students during the same period. Moving forward, it is imperative for education authorities and stakeholders to collaborate closely to implement proactive measures aimed at improving enrollment rates and ensuring equitable educational opportunities for Schedule Tribal (ST) students.