Conversion of Tribal Welfare hostels into Tribal Welfare Ashram Schools in AP- GO.46

Tribal Welfare Department – Tribal Sub Plan 2015-16-Education –Imparting and Improving quality of education among ST children – Providing Residential Education to all –Conversion of TW hostels into TW Ashram Schools in Scheduled Area of the State during academic year 2015-16-Administrative sanction – Orders – Issued.

Government Of Andhra Pradesh
G.O.MS.No.46,Tribal Welfare(TW.EDN.I) Department,Dated:16-04-2016


References:
1) G.O.Ms.No.56, Tribal Welfare (Edn.1.1) Department, Dt:01-7-2013.
2) Minutes of the 3rd meeting of “State Council for Development of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes held on 27-12-2014.
3) Commissioner of Tribal Welfare, AP, Hyderabad, Proposals for conversion of Hostels into Residential Schools, Lr.Rc.No.D2/987/2014, Dt: 24-12-2014.
4) Govt.Memo.No.11678/TW.Edn.1/2014, Dt: 26-12-2014.
5) Director of Tribal Welfare, AP, Hyderabad, Proposals Rc.No.D1/928/2015, Dt: -05-2015.

Order:
1. As part of socio economic development of Scheduled Tribes in the State, Tribal Welfare Department has been focusing on development of education among STs since education creates awareness, accelerates development and provides opportunity for suitable employment for a self reliant and dignified way of life.

2. In the process, the Government has set up Hostels as early as 1960’s in semi- urban and urban areas of the state of A.P. to support ST students studying in schools run by various managements under Government of A.P. Later on during 1970’s Ashram Schools were started with an idea to provide residential education to the scheduled tribes. Subsequently, keeping in view the success of Residential type of education, TW Residential Schools were established during 1980’s to provide quality education and for over all development of the ST children. As the Residential
schools have increased in number over a period of time, a separate Society was established for managing the TW Residential Schools in the State of A.P. in the APTWREIS (Gurukulam).

3. In addition to boarding and lodging, other facilities such as school uniforms, text books, notebooks trunk boxes, plates & glasses and cosmetics are also provided to the students in all Hostels, Ashram Schools and Residential Schools. Whereas, in the Ashram Schools and Residential Schools the classroom instruction is also imparted under the same roof and the institutions function under the direct control and supervision of Project Officers of ITDAs in the ITDA area.


#Present scenario:
4. At present (197) ST Hostels, (361) ST Ashram Schools and (1815) Govt. Primary schools are functioning under the administrative control of Tribal Welfare Department to meet the educational needs of ST children. Further, (136) TW Residential institutions are functioning under the control of AP Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (Gurukulam) covering a total number of 1.90 lakh children.

5. Out of them ( 49 ) TW Hostels, (326) TW Ashram Schools (1453) Govt. Primary Schools and (84) Residential Institutions, are functioning in Scheduled Area districts ITDA Districts of Andhra Pradesh State for the benefit of ST children.

#Need for Conversion:
6. Whereas, over a period of time the performance of students studying in TW Ashram Schools and Residential Schools functioning in the ITDA areas has been found qualitatively superior compared to that of students staying in various other Schools while staying in the hostels. The reasons being:
a) there is an inbuilt institutional mechanism in Ashram Schools and Residential Schools to focus on the child by of qualified teachers round the clock,
b) regular supervisory study hours after the school hours,
c) close and intense monitoring of performance of the institutions by the Project Officer and his staff,
d) various initiatives taken up for improvement of quality in teaching-learning process.

7. This comparative edge is not available to the students staying in a hostel as:
a) the schools in which they are studying are day schools,
b)the teachers are not available to the students after the school hours,
c)a number of teaching posts remaining vacant for a long time in these schools as the teachers of other management schools are generally not willing to work in the tribal areas , and
d)only one Hostel Welfare Officer cannot devote his complete attention to monitor the academic performance of the students.

8. Further, worldwide research into the school effectiveness has revealed that among a number of factors that influence the effectiveness of a school, the optimum utilization of teaching -learning time is found paramount in making a school effective. The performance of Ashram Schools and Residential Schools is effective as both the teachers and the students in those schools have a congenial environment to participate in utilizing their time to its optimum level.

9. Keeping in view this reason, efforts have been put in by ITDAs in the past to convert some of the Hostels into Ashram Schools from 1993 onwards and in all such cases it has been noticed that:
a) because of the conversion the enrolment of the ST students into the converted hostels has increased,
b) because of shifting the ST students from the schools run by other managements, the schools were not substantially affected as they are mostly catering to the enrolment of non tribal children in those areas,
c) the performance of the children in the hostels converted to schools has improved significantly and the institutions have been upgraded to high school level also.

#Strategy and Planning process under TSP:
10.The State of Andhra Pradesh achieved a historic milestone with enactment of “Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan (Planning, Allocation and utilization of financial Resources) Act No.1 of 2013. The Act is to ensure, accelerated development of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) with emphasis on achieving quality focusing on economic, educational and human development. The Act has also stated clearly that the tribal sub-plan shall give special attention to the STs residing in Scheduled Areas.

11. Keeping in view the historical legislation for effective utilization of Tribal Sub Plan, the Govt has initiated a number of interventions for development of education among STs, and as a beginning, ordered for conversion of (23) TW Hostels into Ashram Schools by opening Primary Schools in the premises of Hostels vide G.O.Ms.No. 56, Tribal Welfare (Edn.1.1) Dept. 1.7.2013.

12. During the 3rd Meeting of State Council for Development for SCs and STs held on 27-12-2014, vide Agenda Item-24, Residential Education for all ST students has been considered and it was agreed in principle and the Hon’ble Chief Minister directed to assess the requirement of budget for infrastructure and to furnish the proposals for sanction at one go and directed for detailed proposals to be prepared and presented immediately as the program has to be implemented from the academic year 2015-16.

13. In compliance to the decision taken in the 3rd Meeting of the State Council for Development of SCs and STs, the Director, Tribal Welfare, held series of meetings and discussions with the POs of ITDAs and DDs of ITDAs for conversion of Hostels into Ashram Schools and based on the discussions has furnished the proposals for converting (30 ) TW Hostels into Ashram Schools in ITDA districts during 2015-16 as listed out in Annexure in addition to the (23) TW Hostels already converted in the Ashram Schools during 2013-14.

#Sanctioning of Ashram Schools:
14. After carefully examining the proposals furnished by the Director, Tribal Welfare and also in compliance to the Policy of the State Government to provide quality and residential education for all ST students, sanction is hereby accorded for converting (30) TW Hostels into Ashram Schools in ITDA Districts by opening Primary Schools in the premises of the hostels during the academic year 2015-16 as listed out in Annexure attached to this Order.

#Process of Conversion:
15. The conversion shall be as follows:
a) A Tribal Welfare Primary School shall be opened in the premises of the TW Hostel as listed out in Annexure.
b) The School shall have (4) SGTs and the senior most shall function as Headmaster of the School.
c)Initially the school shall start functioning with Classes III to V with each class having (40) students and it will be upgraded to an Upper Primary School in 2016-17 by opening Classes VI & VII and will be further upgraded to a High School in the subsequent academic years.
d) After the school is opened, the ST students studying from Class III to V who are hitherto boarders of the hostel but in other institutions shall be transferred to the newly opened TW Primary School.
e)ST students and other boarders in the hostel studying Classes VI to X shall be shifted to nearby Ashram High Schools, TW Residential Schools, Best Available Schools as per the choice the students and parents.
f)There shall be no fresh admissions into the hostel so that the hostel shall become a full fledged AshramHigh School within next (4) years.
g)Since the Schools are Government TW Schools there is no need to process for recognition by the competent authority under Section 27 of the Education Act, 1982 and they are deemed to have been recognised.

#Staffing Pattern:
16. The Staff requirement for conversion of Hostels into Ashram Schools in Scheduled area is as follows:
a)Each AshramSchool shall have (4) Secondary Grade Trained Teachers and the posts shall be pooled by up way of deployment by Project Officer, ITDA concerned.
b) Each AshramSchool shall have the hostel section and the Hostel Welfare
Officer along with the sanctioned posts of Class IV shall continue to function in the same institution.

#Financial implications:
17. No financial implications are involved towards salaries of the teaching and non-teaching staff. However, the expenditure towards diet, cosmetics and other materials shall be continued to be drawn from SH (05) Educational Institutions – Plan. The Hostel Welfare Officer concerned shall act as drawing and disbursing officer as specified in annexure I&II of GO.Ms.No:75, SW(TW.EDN.1) Department,Dt.19.7.1999.

#Administrative Control:
18. The following administrative procedure shall be followed in the day to day functioning of these institutions.
a) The Ashram Schools shall function under the control of Project Officer, ITDA concerned.
b)Curriculum, inspections and management of the Ashram Schools shall be continued as per the existing procedure followed with respect of TW Ashram Schools in the ITDAs.
c)The service conditions of the teachers and Hostel Welfare Officers shall be governed as per the Service Rules issued by Government vide GO Ms.No.45, SW(TW.Ser.III/A1) Dated 28-6-2011.
d) The service conditions of the Class IV staff shall be governed by AP Last
Grade Service Rules issued vide GO Ms.No.565, GAD(Ser.B) Dated 24-10-1992.
e)The casual leave and other leaves of the Headmaster and the HWO shall be sanctioned by the Deputy Director, TW of the ITDA concerned.

#Head of Account:
19. The salaries of the teachers, Hostel Welfare Officers and Class IV staff shall be debited to the following head of account
2225 Welfare of SCs, STs and OBCs
02 Welfare of STs
MH 277-Education
SH (05) Educational Institutions
010 Salaries
20. The DTW, AP., Hyd. shall take necessary action accordingly.