378 Ekalavya model residential schools (EMRS) for tribal students are sanctioned since 2014 and set up the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) to manage schools in 2018. Even then so far the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has been unable to solve the teachers shortage faced in such schools that are currently functional.
According to the guidelines issued to the States in 2020 by NESTS, each school should have a total of 52 staff including 30 teachers, that means 378 schools would have a total number of 11,340 teachers.
In accordance with the data gathered by the Ministry nearly 4,000 teachers have been appointed in place of 11,340 teachers, across the 378 schools, of which nearly 70% are either on contract basis or on deputation from state government schools.
As far as teacher recruitment was concerned, the structure set up in 2018, had made it difficult to monitor and enforce its own recommendations.
After setting up of NESTS the State Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) were also set up and they receive the funding from the Ministry.
The NESTS are responsible for recommending the syllabus, school and hostel standards,teacher recruitment guidelines, the SEATS are in charge of implementing these guidelines with local modifications in all the above said areas.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs told the only way to solve the teacher shortage and bring uniformity in the teaching standards was to completely overtake the administrative structure under which the EMRSs were run.
