A Comparative Study of Out- of-Pocket Expenditure on Schooling for Scheduled Tribes (ST) vs. General Category Households in Four Cities of Jharkhand

Abstract

This  study  investigates  the  socioeconomic disparities  in  educational  investment  by examining  the  Out-of-Pocket  Expenditure (OOPE) on schooling between Scheduled Tribe (ST)  and  General  Category  households  in  the urban centers of Jharkhand, specifically Ranchi, Sahebganj, Dumka, and Chaibasa. Despite the legal mandate of the Right to Education Act of 2009, "free education" often remains a conceptual ideal due to the significant financial burden of direct and indirect costs  borne by  households. Utilizing  secondary  data  from  the  National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 75th Round (2017- 18),  the  research  employs  a  quantitative  and comparative design to analyze fiscal disparities. The findings reveal a stark contrast in absolute spending;  General  Category  households  spend nearly three times more (₹18,920) annually per student  than  ST  households  (₹6,450).  An Independent  Samples  T-test  confirms  this difference  is  statistically  significant,  t(498)  = 8.42, p < .001. Critically, the study identifies a "non-fee trap" for tribal families, where 42% of their educational budget is consumed by "hidden costs" such as books, stationery, and uniforms. Additionally, a pervasive "coaching culture" exists across both groups, with ST households spending approximately  25%  of  their  budget on  private tuitions.  The  paper  concludes  that  achieving educational equity requires policy interventions beyond fee  waivers,  specifically  recommending the  universalization  of  Direct  Benefit  Transfer (DBT) for non-fee items and the establishment of community-based remedial centers to alleviate the regressive financial burden on tribal households.