Chennai,  Educationists in Tamil Nadu want vacant teacher's posts to be filled in schools run by Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department after students of Class 10 and 12 fared poorly in the recent board exams.

There are around 1,466 schools in the state that are being run by the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, and there have been demands to bring these schools under the state school education department following the poor performance of the students.

People from the Adi Dravidar community belong to the Seduled Caste category.

There are 95,103 students in Adi Dravidar Welfare schools and 28,263 in Tribal Welfare Residential schools.

In the Class 10 board exams, Adi Dravidar Welfare schools recorded a pass percentage of 78.11 while the Tribal Welfare schools recorded 78.37 per cent, while government schools had a pass percentage of 85.25.

Similarly, Adi Dravidar Welfare schools had a pass percentage of 82.21 in Class 12 board exams, while Tribal Welfare schools recorded a pass percentage of 86. The government schools fared better at 89 per cent in Class 12 board exams.

Social activists and voluntary organisations, which are working for tribal and Adi Dravida students, said that in many schools, there is an acute shortage of teachers and in some schools, headmasters or headmistresses are not posted once the incumbent teacher retires.

Saraswathi Hema, an educationist and activist who is working for tribal children, told IANS, "The reduced pass percentage of Adi Dravida Welfare schools and Tribal Welfare schools in the recent board exams is mainly due to the woeful shortage of teachers and in some instance, even the headmaster or headmistress' post remains vacant in such schools."

She said that either these posts should be filled on a war-footing or the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare schools be brought under the state school education department.

Saraswathi said a scientific system of transfers and postings should be applicable to these schools also.

Sources in the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department told IANS that in Salem district alone, there are vacancies of two headmasters, 28 B.Ed teachers, four secondary school teachers and two post-graduate teachers in 19 tribal residential schools.

While activists and educationists are batting for bringing these schools under the state school education department, there are challenges ahead as several teachers are apprehensive to work in SC/ST schools. In some cases, these teachers simply refuse to work in SC/ST schools.

Presently, the posts of elementary school teachers in the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare schools are entirely reserved for teachers from SC/ST communities.

It is learnt that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will call a meeting of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department officials, state school education department officials, educators and activists to bring out a solution to this issue and to improve the education of SC/ST students.