Dalits are a historically marginalized community, excluded from mainstream development owing to caste-based discrimination. Though the Muluki Ain (2022) outlawed this discrimination, Dalits are still considered untouchables in our society. This discrimination reflects in education attainment as well. This article will explores some facts about dalits, their education challenges and suggest some ways out.
Dalits account for 14.01 percent of Nepal's population. Their school enrollment rate is 18.7 percent, much lower compared to other caste groups. The government has various plans and policies to improve the educational achievements of socially excluded groups like dalits. A number of non-governmental organizations are also working for better dalit education. Dalit Bikas Samiti, for example, has been promoting dalit education for a long time. It provides monthly allowance to dalit students for higher education—Rs 1,500 for 10+2 students, Rs 2,000 for graduate and post-graduate students and Rs 4,000 for students pursuing higher technical education). Similarly, government also provides Rs 500 in scholarship to dalit school students.
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Despite these provisions, dalit children are still deprived of education for economic reasons. Forty seven percent Dalits are under the poverty line; 24.94 percent are landless; and 38 percent dalit children are engaged in manual labor. School dropout rate is high among these children.
Education for dalitsMost dalits are not bold to fight caste-based discrimination. They tend to accept it as their fate. Similarly, dalit parents lack education; 90 percent male and 97 percent female dalits are illiterate. Their representation in government organizations is also woefully low. Thus they are not in a position to raise their voice for dignity.
There are several other hurdles in their access to education, including inappropriate location of schools, problems related to livelihood, lack of transportation and absence of road networks. Schools in rural villages are far from dalit communities. Most dalits depend on subsistence farming. So they are forced to seek alternative employment for which they leave the village. Their children become virtual orphans, making it even more difficult for dalit children to attend school regularly. When they grow up they are forced to supplement family income. So they drop out.
Physical infrastructures in rural schools are not dalit-friendly as there is uneven distribution of schools across Nepal. Even the schools in existence don't have enough supporting infrastructure. Most rural schools don't have sufficient teachers. Thus, to improve things, we need sweeping changes in our education system in order to make it dalit-friendly.
The authors are MPhil students at Kathmandu University
