The Indian Constitution provides for free primary school education for both boys and girls up to the age of 14. This goal has been reiterated numerous times, but primary education is not universal in India. Overall, the literacy rate for women is 39% compared to 64% for men, with less than 40% of the 330 million women aged seven and up being literate. The urban female literacy rate is 64%, while the rural female literacy rate is roughly half that, at 31%. In six of the twenty-four states of India, fewer than 25% of rural women are literate.
A recent survey In India, for example, discovered that infant mortality is inversely related to the mother’s educational level. Not just women, literacy in general are directly linked to one’s earning potential and social autonomy as well. The main educational issue that girls, particularly those from rural areas face is that, while they may be enrolled at the start of the school year, they do not always stay enrolled. It is estimated that 45 percent of girls drop out between grades 1 and 5.
“If we want girls to learn, we must first address the education system in which they are enrolled. We must consider whether the system is designed to facilitate learning, and, in particular, whether key foundational skills are developed in the early years. We need to know whether teachers are supported and incentivized to deliver effective instruction that is appropriate for their students’ learning levels. Furthermore, we must determine whether a lack of learning results in corrective action at the individual, classroom, or school levels,” says Anoop Singh Bishnoi.
Globally and in India, there is a sense of urgency surrounding girls’ education. We must recognize that many developmental promises cannot be met unless we prioritize equal and high-quality education. However, the argument is still based on efficiency rather than rights, taking a decidedly instrumental approach and describing the effects of girls’ education on the country’s progress, economic and social development, maternal mortality, and their children’s education. Most arguments in favor of girls’ education emphasize the benefits to societies, families, and the economy, as well as the role it plays in training better mothers and thus better future generations—rather than the intrinsic benefits to girls themselves.
“Thus, the need here is not only to focus on retaining girls in schools but to ensure they learn, and learn what’s important for them, for example, the complications related to early pregnancy and the burden of child marriage, or how education can shape their dreams into reality. Their education should provide them with the necessary knowledge that they have the right to use for their own purposes because they are equal individuals with choice, agency, aspirations, and a voice and they must learn to speak out against any discriminatory practices and social structures which try to compress and oppress them. Women are the change-makers of a better India and we, as a nation can’t prosper without their empowerment. Women’s education is the most important step towards making them self-reliant as it prepares them to respond to challenges, confront their traditional roles, and change their lives.” adds Anoop.
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