Challenges in Education of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Children: Case Study of an Ashram School Nityananda Pradhan & Jisu Ketan Pattanaik Abstract This paper is based on the outcomes of a study funded by District administration, Koraput Odisha and UNICEF, Odisha. The major aim of the study was to explore the quality of Education in 142 residential schools (popularly known as Ashram Schools) meant for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Children of Koraput District, a Tribal Sub-plan district of Odisha, against a host of parameters. One of the objectives of the study was to make an in- depth case study of selected Ashram Schools of the study area so as to explore the grass-roots realities of ashram school pertaining to the major variables under investigation, e.g. teaching learning process, social and physical environments of school, infrastructure, daily-life activities, teaching workforce. Ranigada Ashram School, situated about 12 kilometers away from the district headquarter was one amongst the few schools selected for case study. The paper reflects the state of education in this School and reveals many facts pertaining to the variables under study that have immense implications for the major stakeholders of elementary education in the area, including teachers, school administrators/ supervisors, parents, community members and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Authorities. Key words: Ashram school, Quality education, Tribal Sub-Plan Area * Dr.Nityananda Pradhan, Head, Dept. of Education, Ravenshaw University,Cuttack, Odisha, E-mail: npradhan17@rediffmail.com . * Dr.Jisu Ketan Pattanaik, Assistant Professor in Sociology, National University of Study and Research in law, Ranchi, Jharkhand, email:jisuketan@rediffmail.com. Background and Context Education is considered as a key indicator of human development and progress. Education in Koraput district, right from the primary stage, assumes significance because of its low literacy level and poor ranking (27 th ) in Education Index of the State as per Orissa Human Development Report (2004). On literacy front, about 61.29 % of males and 38.92% of females are literate as per 2011 Census. The gender gap in the district comes to 22.37%. As per 2001 Census, literacy rate among SC male in the district was 48.52% and that among SC