THE EDUCATION OF KOLHI COMMUNITY IN SINDH: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

The majority of the people from scheduled castes in Pakistan are uneducated and are engaged in agriculture. They work for the feudals. This study attempts to know about the educational experiences and challenges that student from the scheduled caste Hindu Kolhi communities face at the school level in Pakistan. The main purpose of the current study is to identify the reasons for less education in a Dalit community as well as the major challenges that they face while going to school. The current study was conducted in various villages of the district Badin, Sindh, through face-to-face interactions with students in grades 6 to 10. A quantitative approach was used to address the issues with marginalized community ‘Kolhi’ regarding their education. Moreover, random sampling techniques were used for the selection of sample size, and data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings of this study reveal that majority of the Kolhi community does not have schools close to their homes due to their residence and occupation in rural areas. Most of the students argued that they are being differentiated by teachers and other students by using separate pots for eating and glasses for drinking at school, which creates a lack of interest among the students who go to school. The study also found that early marriages of children between the ages of 10 and 14 which is an old tradition of the community, also hinders them to continue further education.