EDUCATION IN INDIA AND UTTARAKHAND

ARTICLE BY : ALI RAZA KHAN

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF EDUCATION IN INDIA

For more than 300 years ago, there was practically no education for girls in India. Only a few girls of the upper castes and upper classes were given some education at home. Literacy of girls at that time was looked upon as a disgrace. The notion of providing education to girl child never entered into the minds of parents. A superstitious feeling was alleged to exist in the majority of the Hindu families that a girl who taught to read and write will soon become a widow after marriage. According to the report of National Committee on Women’s Education (1959), “It cannot be denied that the general picture of the education of girls was the most unsatisfactory and girls received practically no formal instruction whatever, except for the little domestic instruction that was available to the daughter of the upper class families.” It was the ‘American Mission’ which first started a school for girls in Bombay (Now Mumbai) in 1824. By 1829 within five years as many as 400 girls were enrolled in that school. Then the first decade of 19th century with efforts of missionaries as well as the Indian voluntary organizations, started primary schools particularly in Bombay, Bengal and Madras states in 2015 for girls. The government also took the responsibility to promote primary education in general and that of the girls in particular. However, government efforts could not go a long way due to the Indian War of Independence of 1857. After the war municipal committees and other local bodies were encouraged to open primary schools. In the year 1870, training colleges for women were established for the first time and women were trained to become teachers in girls’ schools. As a result of all these efforts, great progress was made in girl’s education in the last quarter of the 19th century. However, in spite of these, there was a great gap between the education of boys and girls. It was estimated that for every 1,000 boys at schools, the number of girls was only 46. At the beginning of the 19th century there was hardly any literate woman in the country excepting a few in the aristocratic houses. It astonishes that by the end of the century hundreds girls were enrolled in the newly opened institutions all over the country. Though girls and women have made much educational gains in recent years, but still have a long way to go before their historic educational disadvantage is eradicated. The education system of India, like many other social institutions, has long been discriminatory towards the women. In 1916 SNDT Women University in Bombay became the first institution of higher learning to admit female students. The proportion of girls has increased steadily after independence and mostly in the last decade. The literacy rate of girls has gone up from 8.86 per cent in 1951 to 29.75 per cent in 1981, 39.29 per cent in 1991 to 54.16 per cent in 2001, and Now in 2011 census report it is 65.5% (Census Report, 1951-2011). Enrolment of girls in higher education has also grown since 1995. The main hindrance in the girls education in India is rural residence, low caste, low economic standing combined with the traditional attitude towards girls’ education as a whole. These factors tend to deny opportunities of education to a girl. While broadly speaking education of girls has made strides and it is not surprising that today in many faculties and departments of universities and colleges, more girls than boys are seen.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF EDUCATION IN INDIA

There was a time when people thought that it was not necessary to educate girls. Now we have begun to realize that girls’ education is essential. The modern age is the age of awakening of girls. They are trying to compete with men in all spheres of life. There are many people who oppose girls’ education. They say that the proper sphere of girls is the home. So, they argue that the money spent on girl’s education is wasted. This view is wrong, because girl’s education can bring about a silent resolution in the society. Girls’ education plays a vital role through up gradation of depriving Marginalized sections, especially girls in society. Because girls are the back bone of society, they are the mother of the race and guardian of future generation, so that education is very much necessary. Girls must be educated, for it is the Girls who mould the next generation and hence the destiny of the country. But present scenario is different girls are consisting with 58.65% of the total population but the literacy rate of the girls is 65.5% whereas the boys literacy rate is 82.1% (Census Report, 2011) and annual average dropout rate of girls in primary level is 4.14% and in upper primary level is 4.49% (DISE Data, 2014-15). Annual average dropout rate of girls in secondary level is 17.79% and in higher secondary level is 1.61% (U-DISE Data, 2014-15). Although Government has taken many initiatives to promote girls’ education in our country, “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme was launched in 2015 with the noble purpose to educate girls. ‘Sukanya 1 Samriddhi Yojana’ scheme was launched in 2015 to meet the expense of the Girl child’s higher education and marriage” (Ministry of Women and Child Development Report, 2015). Government of India is also taking responsibility to make girls’ toilet in every school for the purpose of minimizing dropout rate in the schools. Because according to the Annual Status of Education Report (2014) “at middle and high schools, there is a correlation between the lack of toilets and drop-out rates.” The purposes of the study are to assertion recent status and challenges of girl’s education in India; to provide possible suggestions to overcome the challenges of girls’ education in India

RIGHT TO EDUCTION ACT IN INDIA

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or Right to Education Act (RTE), is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted on 4 August 2009, which describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21a of the Indian Constitution. India became one of 135 countries to make education a fundamental right of every child when the Act came into force on 1 April 2010.

The Act makes education a fundamental right of every child between the ages of 6 and 14 and specifies minimum norms in elementary schools. It requires all private schools to reserve 25% of seats to children (to be reimbursed by the state as part of the public-private partnership plan). Kids are admitted in to private schools based on economic status or caste-based reservations. It also prohibits all unrecognized schools from practice, and makes provisions for no donation or capitation fees and no interview of the child or parent for admission. The Act also provides that no child shall be held back, expelled, or required to pass a board examination until the completion of elementary education. There is also a provision for special training of school drop-outs to bring them up to par with students of the same age.

The RTE Act requires surveys that will monitor all neighborhoods, identify children requiring education, and set up facilities for providing it. The World Bank education specialist for India, Sam Carlson, has observed: “The RTE Act is the first legislation in the world that puts the responsibility of ensuring enrolment, attendance and completion on the Government. It is the parents’ responsibility to send the children to schools in the US and other countries.”

The Right to Education of persons with disabilities until 18 years of age is laid down under a separate legislation – the Persons with Disabilities Act. A number of other provisions regarding improvement of school infrastructure, teacher-student ratio and faculty are made in the Act.

Education in the Indian constitution is a concurrent issue and both center and states can legislate on the issue. The Act lays down specific responsibilities for the center, state and local bodies for its implementation. The states have been clamored that they lack financial capacity to deliver education of appropriate standard in all the schools needed for universal education. Thus, it was clear that the central government (which collects most of the revenue) will be required to subsidies the states.

A committee set up to study the funds requirement and funding initially estimated that INR 1710 billion or 1.71 trillion (US$38.2 billion) across five years was required to implement the Act, and in April 2010 the central government agreed to sharing the funding for implementing the law in the ratio of 65 to 35 between the central and the states, and a ratio of 90 to 10 for the north-eastern states. However, in mid-2010, this figure was upgraded to INR 2310 billion, and the center agreed to raise its share to 68%. There is some confusion on this, with other media reports stating that the center’s share of the implementation expenses would now be 70%. At that rate, most states may not need to increase their education budgets substantially.

VARIOUS GOVERNMENT SCHEMES FOR GIRL CHILD IN INDIA

BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is a central government scheme that helps girls throughout the nation. The primary purpose of this scheme is to save the child from social problems such as gender-based abortions and advance child education around the country. This program was initially meant for districts considered to have a low sex ratio and successfully extended to other regions of the country. This is essentially an educational programme to help change societal attitudes and does not entail the immediate transfer of funds. The key aims of this child protection scheme include:

Preventing selective gender abortion
Ensure infant survival and wellbeing in childhood
Ensure the child’s education and inclusion
Challenging gender stereotypes and supporting gender equality
Giving a safe and stable atmosphere to girls
To endorse the right of girls to inherit property.

SUKANYA SAMRIDDHI YOJANA

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana Account is a Government of India backed savings scheme designed for parents of girl children. The scheme allows parents to set up a trust for their child’s eventual schooling and marriage expenses. It encourages parents to systematically save for their daughter’s higher education and marriage so that the perception of a girl child being a burden on her parents is abolished.

All parents and guardians of girl children under the age of 10 can open this account. Only one account per child is allowed. Parents can open up to two accounts for two of their children (exceptions allowed for twins and triplets). The account is portable anywhere in India and can be accessed at any branch of the post office or the bank.

Savings account specially designed for parents of girl children
Encourages parents to save towards the education of the girl child; introduced as part of the ‘Beti Padhao Beti Bachao’ movement
Parents of girl children under the age of 10 can open this account
Only 2 accounts allowed per family; exemptions allowed in case of twins or triplets
Minimum deposit of Rs.250 per annum and maximum of Rs.1.5 lakes
Tax exemption available on the deposited amount, interest accrued and the withdrawal amount
Maximum tenure of the account shall be 21 years from the date of opening of account or the marriage of the girl child, whichever is earlier
Deposits allowed for a maximum of 15 years from the date of opening of account
Partial withdrawal of up to 50% allowed once the girl reaches 18 years of age
Account can be opened at your nearest post office or any of the public and private sector banks
Deposits into the account can be made via cash, cheque, DD or online transfers
The account can be transferred from one post office to another, one bank to another or between post office and banks, upon submission of valid address proof
Pre-closure of account is allowed to take care of marriage of the girl child, provided that the girl child has attained the age of 18 and relevant proofs are submitted thereof.

BALIKA SAMRIDHI YOJANA

The Balika Samridhi Yojana is a scheme similar to the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana. Under the scheme, limited saving opportunities are offered for the parents of the girl child.

The scheme is available for new born infants only.
Rs.500 is provided at the time of birth of each girl child.
While attending school, an annual scholarship of Rs. 300 – Rs. 1000 is provided till the girl child completes her Grade X.
Maximum age limit for enrolment is 10 years (of the child).
A household is qualified to enter this scheme for two of their daughters only.
The depositor should belong to a family that is ‘Below Poverty Line’.
Account can be opened at your nearest bank. Only certain banks are designated to carry out the application process under this programme.

MUKHYAMANTRI LAADLI YOJANA

The MukhyamantriLaadli Yojana is a savings scheme specially designed for parents of a girl child. Under this scheme, an initial deposit of Rs.6000 has to be made into your post office savings account for a fixed tenure of five years. The girl child then receives the following monetary benefits in regular intervals –

Rs. 2,000 once she enters Grade 6th
Rs. 4000 once she enters Grade 9th
Rs. 7,500 once she enters Grade 11th
Also, a monthly stipend of Rs. 200
Once she attains 21 years of age, the deposited amount will mature and

MUKHYAMANTRIRAJSHRIYOJANA

The Mukhyamantri Rajshri Yojana was launched in Rajasthan. It offers monetary benefits to parents of girl children, starting from their birth till their higher education;

Once the child completes one year, with all vaccinations done, Rs 2500 is given through a cheque
At the time of admission in any public school into grade I, Rs.4000 is paid to the Rs.2500 is given to the mother at the birth of a girl child
Rs.5000 is paid when the child enters Grade VI
Rs. 11000 is paid once the girl enters Grade XI

Initiatives taken by Uttarakhand State

(Department of Women Empowerment and Child Development)

Save the Girl Child Scheme; especially in the context of BBBP1.

1. Nanda Devi Kanya Yojana: This scheme is now known as ‘Hamari Kanya HamaraAbhiman’. State government, is running this scheme with the objective of providing financial security for the future education of girl child and also stopping female feticide. Under this scheme girl child would be eligible to get an amount of Rs. 15000/- deposited in her name.

2. Success Story under BBBP: The Poorna Shakti Kendra (PSK) scheme is being run at Haridwar District through SRCW under NMEW since April 2014. The PSK regularly organizes various activities at its centre, one couple Mrs. Reshma Khan w/o Mr. Salim Khan of village Bahadrabad, Block Bahadrabad, Haridwar started attending awareness meetings and convergence workshops by the motivation of village coordinator Mrs. Gulnazar. After 9 years of marriage (5th Nov 2006), Mrs. Reshma Khan conceived but in the last month of her pregnancy, the child died before the delivery. She had to undergo surgery to take out the dead child and save her life. Since then Mrs. Reshma Khan (40 yrs) could not conceive, and even after rigorous medical treatments, no solution could be found. However, she did not lose hope and prayed to God for a child. Simultaneously, she was frequently attending the events of PSK and from one of the workshop she got an idea of adopting a child of a poor family who is willing to donate. Shortly, she decided to adopt a girl child and on 29th August 2014, the biological father Mr. Mohammed Iqbaal and mother Mrs. Radiya willingly donated their girl child. Mrs. Reshma Khan gave her a very good name ‘Mariyam’. Mrs. Reshma Khan and her husband are very grateful to PSK and its field staff. She rejected all social oppositions & evils while following her inner soul voice who suggested her to adopt a needy girl child and give her a good upbringing so that she can grow up as a good human and have a chance to prove herself. Mrs. Reshma by adopting a girl child not only has found a way of happiness for herself but also, she has done a good deed for the well-being of the society.

3. Dishayen– Career Counselling of Adolescent girls: Adolescent girls of remote districts being made aware by providing information about various career options in various arenas through professional institutions.

NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION IN INDIA THAT WORK FOR EMPOWER GIRLS CHILD

1 ISHITA SHARAMA FOUNDATION (MUKKA MAAR)

Established in June 2018 with a vision to ensure safety for every girl, MukkaMaar trains young girls from less-privileged backgrounds in self-defence. Through a 3-year programme, girls in government schools are empowered with the skills to defend themselves physically and develop self worth – the mindset that they are worth defending. The Foundation currently delivers the programme to 2,500 girls across 45 Mumbai schools and aims to expand to other states.

2 K.C. MAHINDRA EDUCATION TRUST (NANHIKALI

Since 1953 when the trust was founded to promote literacy and higher learning in the country, it has undertaken several initiatives to improve the lives of deserving students through education. It has provided more than ₹440.34 million worth of grants, scholarships and loans. Project Nanhi Kali, the flagship programme of K.C. Mahindra Education Trust supports the education of underprivileged girls

3 MILLAAN FOUNATION

An organization working for an inclusive and equal world for girls, Milaan Foundation’s efforts are empowering young girls from marginalized communities with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue their dreams and realize their potential. These girls, in turn, become influencers within their communities and enable more girls to break free from illiteracy and poverty. So far, 40,000 children and their communities have benefited through the Foundation.

4 VISHVODAYAA TRUST

The trust has been promoting education for the girl child, women empowerment, environment and holistic health care since its inception in 2001. Based in Chennai, the Trust’s Girl Education for Empowerment Project focuses on improving the conditions by which girls, especially those in the marginalized communities, can access quality education

IBTADA

Ibtada works for the empowerment of women and girl children in Alwar district of Rajasthan. It promotes women’s institutions around self-help groups, clusters, federations and production companies, to help strengthen their livelihoods and facilitates their access to rights and entitlements. For girls, Ibtada intervenes for education, life skills development, computer literacy, vocational training, transport facility to school and college and support for college fees.

GIRLS EDUCATION

According to (THE WORLD BANK) Every day girls face barriers to education caused by poverty, cultural norms and practices, poor infrastructure, violence and fragility. Girl’s education is a strategic development priority for the World Bank.

Ensuring that all girls and young women receive a quality education is their human right, a global development priority, and a strategic priority for the World Bank.

Achieving gender equality is central to the World Bank Group twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. As the largest financing development partner in education globally, the World Bank ensures that all of its education projects are gender-sensitive, and works to overcome barriers that are preventing girls and boys from equally benefiting from countries’ investments in education.

Girls’ education goes beyond getting girls into school. It is also about ensuring that girls learn and feel safe while in school; have the opportunity to complete all levels of education, acquiring the knowledge and skills to compete in the labor market; gain socio-emotional and life skills necessary to navigate and adapt to a changing world; make decisions about their own lives; and contribute to their communities and the world.

Both individuals and countries benefit from girls’ education. Better educated women tend to be more informed about nutrition and healthcare, have fewer children, marry at a later age, and their children are usually healthier, should they choose to become mothers. They are more likely to participate in the formal labor market and earn higher incomes. A recent World Bank study estimates that the “limited educational opportunities for girls, and barriers to completing 12 years of education, cost countries between US$15 trillion1 and $30 trillion in lost lifetime productivity and earnings.” All these factors combined can help lift households, communities, and countries out of poverty.

According to UNESCO estimates, around the world, 129 million girls are out of school, including 32 million of primary school age, and 97 million of secondary school age.

Globally, primary, and secondary school enrollment rates are getting closer to equal for girls and boys (90% male, 89% female). But while enrollment rates are similar – in fact, two-thirds of all countries have reached gender parity in primary school enrollment – completion rates for girls are lower in low-income countries where 63% of female primary school students complete primary school, compared to 67% of male primary school students. In low-income countries, secondary school completion rates for girls also continue to lag, with only 36% of girls completing lower secondary school compared to 44% of boys. Upper secondary completion rates have similar disparities in lower income countries; the rate is 26% for young men and 21% for young women.

The gaps are starker in countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV). In FCV countries, girls are 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than boys, and at the secondary level, are 90% more likely to be out of secondary school than those in non-FCV contexts.

Both girls and boys are facing a learning crisis. Learning Poverty (LP) measures the share of children who are not able to read proficiently at age 10. While girls are on average 4 percentage points less learning-poor than boys, the rates remain very high for both groups. The average of Learning Poverty in in low- and middle- income countries is 55% for females, and 59% for males. The gap is narrower in low-income countries, where Learning Poverty averages about 93% for both boys and girls. In many countries, enrollment in tertiary education slightly favors young women, however better learning outcomes are not translating into better work and life outcomes for women. There is a large gender gap in labor force participation rates globally. It is especially stark in regions such as South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa, which have some of the lowest female labor force participation rates at 24% and 20% per region, respectively. These are appallingly low rates, considering what is observed in other regions like Latin America (53%) or East Asia (59%), which are still below rates for men.

Gender bias within schools and classrooms may also reinforce messages that affect girls’ ambitions, their own perceptions of their roles in society, and produce labor market engagement disparities and occupational segregation. When gender stereotypes are communicated through the design of school and classroom learning environments or through the behavior of faculty, staff, and peers in a child’s school, it goes on to have sustained impact on academic performance and choice of field of study, especially negatively affecting young women pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

Poverty is one of the most important factors for determining whether a girl can access and complete her education. Studies consistently reinforce that girls who face multiple disadvantages -such as low family income, living in remote or underserved locations or who have a disability or belong to a minority ethno-linguistic group -are farthest behind in terms of access to and completion of education.

Violence also prevents girls from accessing and completing education – often girls are forced to walk long distances to school placing them at an increased risk of violence and many experience violence while at school. Most recent data estimates that approximately 60 million girls are sexually assaulted on their way to or at school every year. This often has serious consequences for their mental and physical health and overall well-being while also leading to lower attendance and higher dropout rates. An estimated 246 million children experience violence in and around school every year, ending school-related gender-based violence is critical. Adolescent pregnancies can be a result of sexual violence or sexual exploitation. Girls who become pregnant often face strong stigma, and even discrimination, from their communities. The burden of stigma, compounded by unequal gender norms, can lead girls to drop out of school early and not return.

Child marriage is also a critical challenge. Girls who marry young are much more likely to drop out of school, complete fewer years of education than their peers who marry later. They are also more likely to have children at a young age and are exposed to higher levels of violence perpetrated by their partner. In turn, this affects the education and health of their children, as well as their ability to earn a living. Indeed, girls with secondary schooling are up to six times more likely to marry as those children with little or no education. According to a recent report, more than 41,000 girls under the age of 18 marry every day. Putting an end to this practice would increase women’s expected educational attainment, and with it, their potential earnings. According to the report’s estimates, ending child marriage could generate more than US$500 billion in benefits annually

Gender equality in education According to United Nation children funds (UNICEF) benefits every child investing in girls’ education transforms communities, countries and the entire world. Girls who receive an education are less likely to marry young and more likely to lead healthy, productive lives. They earn higher incomes, participate in the decisions that most affect them, and build better futures for themselves and their families.

Girls’ education strengthens economies and reduces inequality. It contributes to more stable, resilient societies that give all individuals – including boys and men – the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

But education for girls is about more than access to school. It’s also about girls feeling safe in classrooms and supported in the subjects and careers they choose to pursue – including those in which they are often under-represented.

Despite evidence demonstrating how central girls’ education is to development, gender disparities in education persist.

Around the world, 129 million girls are out of school, including 32 million of primary school age, 30 million of lower-secondary school age, and 67 million of upper-secondary school age. In countries affected by conflict, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school, than girls living in non-affected countries.

Only 49 per cent of countries have achieved gender parity in primary education. At the secondary level, the gap widens: 42 per cent of countries have achieved gender parity in lower secondary education, and 24 per cent in upper secondary education.

The reasons are many. Barriers to girls’ education – like poverty, child marriage and gender-based violence – vary among countries and communities. Poor families often favour boys when investing in education.

In some places, schools do not meet the safety, hygiene or sanitation needs of girls. In others, teaching practices are not gender-responsive and result in gender gaps in learning and skills development.

1 quality pre-primary education sets a strong foundation for learning.

2Universal pre-primary Education helps make education system more effective and efficient.

3 Equitable pre-primary Education an effective strategy for promoting growth

Children enrolled in at least one year of pre-primary education are more likely to develop the critical skills they need to succeed in school and likely to repeat grades or drop out. As adult they contribute to peaceful societies and prosperous economics. Evidence of the ways in which pre-primary education advances development exists around the world.

Yet, global disparities in enrolment persist. More than half of low –and on track –middle –income countries are not on track to ensure at least one year of qualities pre-primary education for every child by 2030.as set out by the sustainable development goal.

What should governments do to ensure pre-primary education for all?

1. Scale up investment

Pre-primary education provides the highest return on investment of all education sub-sectors. Yet, it receives the smallest share of government expenditure compared to primary, secondary and tertiary education.

2. Progressively grow the pre-primary system, while improving quality

Efforts to scale up access to pre-primary education should not come at the expense of quality. Quality is the sum of many parts, including teachers, families, communities, resources, and curricula. Without adequate safeguards for quality, expansion efforts can intensify education inequities. It is only by investing in quality as education systems grow – not after – that governments can expand access and maintain quality.

Primary education according to United Nations Children`s fund (UNICEF)

Children need primary education to develop critical foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

Children participate in learning activities under SeekhProgramme at a primary school in Khadapatra Village in India, 2020.

UNICEF/UN0387616/Altaf Ahmad

The near universalization of primary schooling is one of the great global achievements of past decades. In the early 1950s, some 50 per cent of primary school-aged children worldwide were out of school. Today, that figure stands at 11 per cent.

In low-income countries, only two thirds of children are estimated to complete primary school. Inequitable access exists across other divides: Children living in emergency and fragile settings, including refugee children, have fewer chances to complete primary school. Gender also plays a role, as girls who grow up in poor households are more likely than their male peers to have never attended or to have dropped out of primary school.

Even for students in school, far too many are not learning the critical foundational skills (literacy and numeracy, but also digital and transferrable skills) they need to grow and thrive. An estimated 53 per cent of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries are unable to read and understand a simple story by the end of primary school.

Primary education forms the bedrock of development. It is in primary school that children learn foundational skills that prepare them for life, work and active citizenship. Quality education empowers children and young people, safeguards their health and well-being, and breaks cycles of poverty. It also empowers countries, ushering in economic prosperity and social cohesion.

These benefits come not just from getting children in school, but from getting them learning to their full potential

New education policy 2020

Recently the union cabinet has approved the new nation education policy (NEP 2020) with an aim to introduce several changes in the Indian education system from the school to college level

The NEP 2020 aim at making “India a global knowledge super power.

The Cabinet has also approved the renaming of the Ministry o human resource development of the ministry of education

SCHOOL EDUCATION:

Universalization of education from preschool to secondary level with 100% Gross Enrolment Ration (GER) in school education by 2030
To bring 2 cores out of school children back in to mainstream an open schooling system.
The current 10+2 system to be replace a new 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8,8-11, 11-14, and 14- 18 year
It will bring the uncovered age group of 3-6 year under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child
It will also have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi /preschool.
Class 10 and 12 board examination to be made easier, to test core competencies rather than memorized fact, with all student allowed to take the exam twice.