The role of parents in educational systems is often one that assists in learning, but what happens in case where young women have little or no say over their marriage and schooling? In that context, it is crucial to understand what drives parents’ choices, because it’s the only way to determine the right policies that could target their decisions and therefore delay child marriage and school dropouts.
The first thought that might strike the reader here is the link between the labor market returns and the investment parents make in their girl child’s education. However, that’s not the only case that influences their choices. In most parts of rural India, few women hold paid employment, and in any case, women’s earnings go to her husband’s family rather than her own parents.
In a scenario where marriage is the most significant factor in determining a woman’s future and her destiny, what would be the right proposal to make a girl remain in school? To understand this, we must first find the right answer. For instance, does a girl’s early school drop-out indicate that her parents don’t value her education? Or that they think if she’s overeducated, it might get difficult to find her a compatible partner? Or that there have been recent changes in her family’s circumstances that make it difficult for her to continue her education?
There could be many answers to this problem, but there’s one assumption that remains constant, if a girl is highly educated, her behavior will break the traditional gender norms. She may become friends with some boys, may start questioning things, or make her decisions herself, and all of these might make her a less attractive candidate for quality marriage. Sadly, this mindset still dominates most parts of our rural India. Sadder is the fact that even if the parents don’t think this way and they may be in favor of her higher education, rural societies often judge these girls for their character and therefore they are the most vulnerable to being sexually harassed in such societies.
“Educating girls involves more than just enrolling them in classes. It also involves giving girls the chance to complete all levels of education, acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to compete for the jobs of tomorrow, gaining the socio-emotional and life skills required to navigate and adapt to a changing world, making their own life decisions, and contributing to their communities and the larger world. Children, especially girls, need a support structure in addition to access to school if they are to complete their education in true sense. A child’s parents, the people they live with, their friends and their society, each factor plays a role in their acquisition of knowledge and for a child to actually gain the benefits of their education, all these factors have to blend together in a healthy manner. In addition to that, gender biases in the classroom can also affect their perceptions and aspirations, so teachers and role models should be sensitive with their language and actions as well,” says Anoop Singh Bishnoi, Chairman of The JDS School, Village Mehrajpur, Distt Fazilka, Punjab.
The Importance of girl education increases as nations become more advanced and work to improve their economic standing. Since women make up half of the working population, making it hard for them to get quality education will only impede the nation’s economic development. Educated girls contribute to economies and that lowers inequalities at many levels. It helps create societies that are more resilient and secure and can provide everyone with ample opportunities to reach their full potential and live out their ambitions.
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