COVID-19 and Tribal Education: Addressing the Issues and Challenges Faced by the Children of the Konda Dora Tribe in India

COVID-19 resulted in disruptions that were both economic and social, significantly impacting the school education of tribal children. This study captures such experiences of the Konda Dora tribe in India by applying Mill's Sociological Imagination to the interviews of 43 children (6-13 years) and their families. A narrative thematic analysis was applied. The findings suggest that COVID-19 aggravated the existing infrastructural and academic inequalities as well as patriarchal norms, negatively influencing school outcomes. As the gap in learning persists, the study proposes measures to minimize the impact of the pandemic and historical biases on the education of tribal children.