Ensuring education of girls does not merely involve getting children into the classrooms. We have to guarantee that girl children learn effectively, feel safe, remain comfortable and stay motivated while they pursue education.
The World Bank reiterates that the above mission involves the opportunity for the girls to complete all levels of education, acquire the knowledge and skills to compete in the 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.
Educating a girl is a complete game-changer for the society. It not only enables and empowers a mere individual, but the society in particular and the nation in general, leading to prosperity and overall development.
Educated women, naturally, remain adequately informed about healthcare and nutrition, marry at an appropriate age, and have fewer children. Their children usually grow healthier, when they choose to become mothers.
Informed and educated women have better chances of participating in formal employment, enterprise or in income-generation avenues, thus leading to higher incomes. Besides their own empowerment, this benefits the smallest unit of the society – the family.
Scarce or limited opportunities for girls to go to school, and barriers to complete the schooling cost countries between USD 15 trillion and USD 30 trillion in lost lifetime productivity and earnings, says a new World Bank report launched ahead of the United Nations Malala Day.
Further, an UNICEF estimate, based on a study spanning across the globe, reveals that 122 million girls are out of school, including 34 million of primary school age, and 87 million of secondary school age.
On the brighter side, globally, primary, and secondary school enrollment rates are getting closer to equal for girls and boys (92 per cent male, 90 per cent female). In fact, two-thirds of all countries have reached gender parity in primary school enrolment
Unfortunately, the gap is more pronounced 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 per cent more likely to be out of secondary school than those in non-FCV contexts.
Crises and conflicts spare neither girls nor boys as both remain out of schools. Learning Poverty (LP) is in fact an indicator that measures schooling and learning proficiently by the age 10.
Gender inequality in access to education affects career prospects and equality in work opportunities later in life. Gender gaps in career expectations are related to deeply in-grained gender-stereotyped norms about which careers are suitable for men and women.
An important indicator to measure this gender gap is Gender Parity Index (GPI). GPI (based on GER or Gross Enrollment Ratio) gives a picture of gender equality in education.
The Gender Parity index data shows an increasing trend in GPI at Primary and Higher Education level, declining trend at upper primary level and mixed trend at secondary and senior secondary level over the years.
In India, in order to promote participation and access to education, the government introduced free primary education. Eighty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of India brought in Article 21-A in the Constitution of India to provide free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a Fundamental Right in such a manner as the State may, by law, determine.
The Rights to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which represents the consequential legislation envisaged under Article 21-A, provides that every child has a right to full time elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school which satisfies certain essential norms and standards.
Globally, there are sets of reasons which have been posing hindrances to girl child education, women empowerment as well as social-economic development of societies. They include inadequacy in Infrastructure and Accessibility, Safety and Security concerns, Social and Cultural norms, Poverty or Economic constraints, Quality of Education among others.
Gender-bias and stereotypes often prioritize education of boys over that of girl in some areas across the planet. In some regions, education for girls is viewed as less valuable, leading to lower enrollment and retention rates.
The practice of early marriage in many regions are causing girls to drop out and assume domestic responsibilities.
Poverty is also forcing families to prioritise earning daily meals over continuing children’s education. However, many countries such as India have provisions for free schooling and the related expenses, besides making nutritious food available in the schools.
Many schools in impoverished regions in the world lack essential facilities, including safe drinking water, functional toilets and proper sanitation. These factors can affect girl children unwilling to attend school and continue the same.
Safety concerns, including harassment, fear of violence and any ongoing conflict in a region can discourage girl children from attending schools.
Non-availability of female teachers may also be a factor behind girls unwilling to attend schools, especially in many countries with unfavourable social norms.
Quality of education, including lack of trained teachers, unrelatable curricula, and insufficient teaching materials can affect ensuring engagement and continuation of girl children in schools.
Increasing adoption of digitization and spread of the internet can assure quality education for girl children by providing access to learning, building confidence, and even developing skills relevant to today’s job market; thus acting as a motivation to continue study. Further, digital learning can help overcome geographical gaps and make quality education accessible to children easily. Besides being accessible and flexible, digital learning is proving to be instrumental in increasing engagement and interactivity.
The world has never been so shrunk, thanks to relative geo-political stability and advancement in technologies. Collectively, we hold little reasons not to ensure a chance to our girl children to achieve their potential, globally.
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