The livelihood of the studied group is determined by human capital of the respondents. To know the quality and capacity regarding income generating activities, they are asked about their education, profession and future human resource.
• Schooling
Whether they went to school or not is asked to know the quality of their human capital as education determines more or less the livelihood pattern and expectation of the respondents. 56%
respondents reply that they went to school and 44% persons reply in the negative. Through discussion it reveals that though earlier they did not have the tendency to send their children to school, presently the Christian missionaries persuade them for education with some incentives in the community. That is why the ratio of school goers is increasing now.
Figure 4.2 Schooling statuses of the respondents
• Education
It is observed that education is an increasing tendency in the Santal community due to the Christian missionaries’ motivation. A question is there to know how long they can continue their education. 56% respondents who got the chance to go to school had to stop their academic life at different level. Close observation and discussion reveal that financial crisis lead them to leave
school for earning. Out of 56 respondents 33 (60% of school goers and 33% of total respondents) have primary school education.
Figure 4.3 Schooling levels of the respondents
19 respondents (34% of school goers and 19% of total respondents) have up to high school education and only 4 respondents (6% of school goers and 4% of the total) get the opportunity to avail higher secondary education. So, only 6% students admit to college.
• Profession
What did they do for livelihood a decade back is a question to them. 89% respondents say that they were day laborer 10-15 years back, 06% say hunting as profession. 02% respondents had official job and 03% were unemployed after completing SSC. To see the dimension of change in course of time in their profession they are asked about their present profession.
Figure 4.4 Comparative professions: Past and Present
A remarkable change is found in their pattern of profession. 97% respondents say they live on day labor where as only 03% are engaged in official job. From the above data it is clear that there is a trend of changing of profession among the Santal community. Previously they had to take hunting as profession either because of the availability of prey in the nature or because of the scarcity of other means of earning. Now no respondents are found who is hunter or unemployed.
It is remarkable that no female respondents claim themselves as housewife. They are also asked whether they are satisfied with their changed or unchanged profession as there is lots of income generating activities. 81 respondents reply that they are satisfied and 19 reply in the negative. It is found that the persons who got the opportunity to go to primary school or high school work as day laborer with dissatisfaction being failed to manage better job with little qualification.
• Future Human Capital.
To know whether they can make the best use of education in preparing future human resource they are asked whether their children go to school or not. A positive trend is seen that children of 76% respondents go to school and 24 % respondents do not send their kids for education. From the data it is observed that the Santal community is also aware of the education assistance program of the government. 91% respondents are informed about this program and 9% do not know about it. So it is a positive indication of change in education sector which will help build future generation of the Santal community. They are becoming aware due to the change in the surrounding atmosphere.
Figure- 4.5 Knowledge on school assistance program and sending children to school So, it is hopeful that this community is becoming increasingly aware of education. The
education assistance program. 24% guardians do not send their children to school of which 9%
do not know about education assistance program. It seems that their tendency of sending school is more but this may not be influenced by education assistance program.
• Extra Earning Member
In terms of human capital a question is used to know whether the respondent has another earning member in the family. Alternative earning member increases the bargaining power of a laborer. Expectedly 87% respondents say they have other earning family members and 13% have no extra earning members in the family. As both husband and wife of a Santal family work as day laborer, almost every family has two earning members. So a Santal family has greater scope of earning.
Findings on Human Capital in the Changed Situation
After analyzing the collected data we find the following information about human capital of the Santal community;
- The rate of school going tendency is increasingly more and the rate of female education level is higher than the male.
- Higher education rate is very lower (7%) than primary education enrollment.
- Future human capital is developing increasingly with education.
- They have left uncertain profession like hunting.
- They are mostly engaged on agro based profession and very few number getting place in official job, though not in higher rank.
- Every family has earning member as both husbands and wives work as day labor.