Kerala's mentor teacher project triggers differences among marginalised tribes in Wayanad

Kalpetta: Caste-like divisions among tribal communities in Wayanad have come into sharp focus following a CPM-led agitation demanding the reappointment of 241 mentor teachers serving in schools with significant tribal student populations. The controversy erupted after the UDF government invited fresh applications for the posts, giving priority to candidates from the most marginalised and numerically dominant tribal communities, including Paniya, Kattunaikka and Adiya.

The mentor teacher scheme was launched by the LDF government in 2017 under the Gothra Bandhu project. Teachers were appointed on 10-month contracts at a remuneration of ₹750 per day. The initiative aimed to bridge the linguistic and cultural gap between tribal children and the mainstream education system, particularly among students from vulnerable tribal communities.

However, the project has now become the centre of a debate over representation within tribal society itself.  According to data from the Scheduled Tribe Development Department, only around 55 of the existing 241 mentor teachers belong to the most backward tribal communities such as Paniya, Kattunaikka, Adiya and Oorali. Of these, only 38 are from the Paniya community. More than 180 appointments reportedly went to members of the relatively influential Kurichiya and Kuruma communities.

When the scheme was launched, the prescribed qualification was TTC or Diploma in Education (D.Ed.). However, owing to a shortage of qualified candidates from several tribal communities, applicants with a B.Ed. qualifications and even Plus-Two education were considered in some cases.

Activists from the Paniya and Kattunaikka communities argue that the original objective of the project was diluted when a majority of positions were filled by members of socially and educationally advanced tribal groups. Following this, the state government revised the recruitment norms, stipulating that mentor teachers appointed to a school should belong to the tribal community that constitutes the majority of students in that institution.

Under the revised community-wise allocation proposed for Wayanad's 241 mentor teacher posts, the distribution is: Paniya – 167, Kattunaikka – 28, Adiya – 18, Kurichiya – 14, Kuruma – 11, Oorali – 2, Kurumba – 1.

Officials say the revised policy is intended to ensure that the most marginalised communities receive adequate representation in a scheme originally designed for their educational upliftment, while activists argue that if qualified candidates are not immediately available from marginalised communities, the posts should remain reserved until eligible candidates emerge from those groups.

Existing teachers protest
On the other hand, with their livelihoods at stake, existing mentor teachers have launched an indefinite hunger strike in front of the Wayanad Collectorate, demanding continuation of their appointments. The protest, backed by the CPM and its tribal wing, Adivasi Kshema Samithi, entered its seventh day. According to protest leaders, four participants have been hospitalised after their health deteriorated.

"We have been working as mentor teachers for the last nine years. Every year, our contracts were renewed. Suddenly asking us to leave is unfair," said one teacher.

Expansion of the scheme
Though launched first in Wayanad, later the mentor teacher project was expanded to other tribal-dominated regions of the state. Besides Wayanad, appointments are proposed in Malappuram (29 posts), Palakkad district excluding Attappady (30 posts), and Attappady (26 posts), taking the total number of mentor teacher positions in the state to 326.

Under the revised guidelines, appointments will continue to be made on a temporary basis for the academic year. Selection will be based on the demographic composition of students in lower primary classes. The consolidated monthly remuneration has been increased from the earlier daily wage structure to ₹21,900.

The prescribed qualification remains TTC or D.Ed. In the absence of eligible candidates, applicants with B.Ed. qualifications or Plus-Two education may also be considered. Candidates must be residents of tribal settlements near the respective schools.

Tribal demography
According to 2023 data from the Scheduled Tribe Development Department, Wayanad has a tribal population of 168,690 spread across 16 communities. The Paniya community is the largest with 75,590 members, followed by Kurichiya (26,586), Kuruma (26,208), Adiya (12,389) and Oorali (4,348).
The dispute over mentor teacher appointments has evolved into a debate on representation within these tribal communities.