We believe that the purpose of education is to enable people to reflect on their society, question the conventional explanations of why they are marginalized, and take action to change their circumstances.

For children, this means going beyond their school curriculum to understand their immediate context and how to take advantage of the opportunities it offers. For adults, it involves learning to deal with their local institutions, exploring new livelihood options, planning the development of their families and communities and gaining the confidence to fight for their rights.

To achieve this, DBDS conducts Village Education Programmes and Slum Education Programmes for children. Adult education programmes include sessions with Self Help Groups on topics such as health, finances and livelihoods; and shibirs where the larger community discusses issues such as land rights and local governance.

The present coverage of the Primary Education Programme is as follows:                                                                                                 

Rural

Urban

Our plans include exploring new methods of teaching in our schools to make the existing curriculum more relevant to students from adivasi villages, and beginning regular adult education classes tailor-made for communities in our various work areas.