Sexual abuse in Odisha’s boarding schools for tribals demotivate first generation learners

Girls in Odisha's tribal residential schools face regular health check-ups, including undisclosed screenings, to protect them from sexual abuse.

For many girls studying in residential schools in Odisha’s tribal regions, the back-to-school routine after an extended winter break comes with a twist — they are likely to undergo medical check-ups, which not only assess their general health, but also include undisclosed screenings, reflecting an unwritten but established protocol.

Having reviewed the troubling history of sexual abuse against girls in the State’s residential schools, a government-run research institute recommended in 2018 that regular health check-ups, with pregnancy tests for girls, be conducted immediately after the vacation. This was despite the fact that its own study revealed that a significant number of cases of sexual abuse occurred during the school terms, although there were also some cases of abuse occurring in their home communities. At least 13 headmasters and 4 teachers were accused in the 29 cases reviewed in the study, with the State government callously reinstating one such headmaster accused of abuse.

“Many girls who study in residential schools are first generation learners. Steps should be taken to ensure their safety on school campuses and outside. Sexual abuse is a curse which will adversely impact the effort to mainstream tribals,” said Anil Pradhan, convenor of the Odisha Right To Education Forum.

Also Read | Tribal girl raped by headmistress’ husband at Odisha

The State Minister for ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare, Jagannath Saraka, laid out the bleak official statistics on the floor of the State Assembly in September 2023. Replying to a query, he said that over the past five years, there were 22 cases of girls who faced sexual assaults in the 188 residential high schools exclusively for tribal girls, with 34 people being named as accused. Twelve girl students had delivered babies. There are 62,385 girls studying in these schools.

If all 1,737 schools functioning under the department are taken into account, the crisis could be much bigger. The government record says that 4,26,903 students, mostly tribals, study in these schools. According to a news report which quoted a reply obtained under the Right To Information Act, between 2010 and 2015, as many as 16 cases of sexual exploitation were reported from these 1,737 schools.

As part of a study titled, ‘Impact of Preventive Intervention on Incidences of Sexual Abuse in Residential Schools of Odisha’, conducted by the government-run Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) in 2018, researchers examined several cases of reported sexual abuse in residential schools. In the majority of these cases, the allegations about sexual harassment were found to be true.