Ekalavya Model Residential School [EMRS] and Inclusive Education in Kerala

Abstract

Tribal people who are the original inhabitants of India are the poorest and the most vulnerable in Kerala. Kerala, with its world-famous ‘Kerala Model of Development’ has achieved spectacular social development that is the best among the third world countries in the world and her social development indicators are justifiably comparable with many developed nations too. This bright and rosy picture of Kerala has been shadowed by the abysmally low socio-economic development of its tribal people. Social exclusion, cultural alienation, poverty, low economic development, lack of political will and administrative apathy bundled with low enrolment in schools and the shockingly high dropout rate among tribal children signify the need and importance of Ekalavya Model Residential School [EMRS] in realizing socio-economic integration and mainstreaming of tribal population in Kerala. In this article, the investigator explores various problems and prospects of EMRS in Kerala.