Synopsis The book “Economics of Tribal Primary Education” is an attempt to focus on the crucial problems of grade-repetition, dropouts and non-enrolment rates in the universalization process of tribal and non tribal primary education in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh. An attempt has been made in this study to enquire into the nature and extent of wastage in the form of transitional flows of pupils from Class I to Class V. Assuming that the problem embodies in itself locality specific features taking the form of socio-cultural conditions and the long-run educational ethos, the study focused on their relevance for improving rates of retention and minimizing wastage. This book helps to planners and administrators in the estimation of comparative degree and extent of wastage in terms of money worked out from an analysis of cross sectional data. This study reveals that the greater difference in pupil-teacher ratio, the wastage is more in the tribal primary schools. The greater potential, in tribal schools, could be utilized for improving retention rates without much financial commitment. Administrators and Policy makers need to redefine their objectives if primary education has to contribute maximum to economic development.