Empowering Girls Through Education
Oct 7, 2008 Girls
Empowering girls through education
2001 Indian government statistics hold the national literacy to be around 64.84%.Government statistics of 2001 also hold that the rate of increase of literacy is more in rural areas than in urban areas. Female literacy was at a national average of 53.63% whereas the male literacy was 75.26%. Within the Indian states, Kerala has shown the highest literacy rates of 90.02% whereas Bihar averaged lower than 50% literacy, the lowest in India. The 2001 statistics also indicated that the total number of ‘absolute non literates’ in the country was 304 million
India is the world’s largest democracy where billions of people live and almost half of these are women. So how does woman effect India’s development?
If girls are not educated, families suffer too. Educated mothers use their knowledge to improve the health of their children and other family members. They immunize their kids against major disease. They provide better nutrition. Their knowledge about health risk protects their families against illness. Child mortality rate is much higher where mothers lack education than in families where mothers are educated.
Girls education is emerging as one of the top priorities of Indian society “educating girls is not an option it is a necessity”, we all want to eliminate gender disparities in education. Much progress has been made in recent decades. The number of girls attending school is increasing but in some parts of India a number of girls still receives little or no education. Even today there are many girls which don’t even have access to Primary education. In some areas female literacy is even less than half that of males.
Educating girls brings many benefits to society. As educated mother gives importance to education and they invest more in their children’s schooling and this improves society’s development prospect. They strongly believe and practice family planning. They give equal importance to education, health and increase the productivity of future generation. And if they are not educated then the productivity and capacity of future generation will be low.
We have to keep this thing in mind if we will not invest now on girls education then we have to pay prices in future in the form of slow growth and less income.
There are many cultural and economical reasons for girls illiteracy like verbal and physical abuse, lack of sanitation, long distances between home and school hazardous experience that deter parents from sending their daughters to school. Another barrier to education in India is the lack of adequate school facilities. Many states simply do not have enough classrooms to accommodate all of the school-age children. Furthermore, the classrooms that are available often lack basic necessities such as sanitary facilities or water. In Uttar Pradesh, a recent survey found that 54 percent of schools did not have a water supply and 80 percent did not have latrines (The World Bank, 1997b). Lack of latrines can be particularly detrimental to girl’s school attendance. Negative parental attitudes toward educating daughters can also be a barrier to a girl’s education. Many parents view educating sons as an investment because the sons will be responsible for caring for aging parents. On the other hand, parents may see the education of daughters a waste of money because the girls are not expected to make economical contribution in the family. They are expected to take care of family and carry out household chores. Promoting girls education therefore involves changing attitude across society merely spending money on girls education will not solve this problem.
Imparting good education doesn’t require building, uniform and even books but it does require good teacher. Female teacher plays and important role in imparting education to girls, as they are mores considerate about the girl’s needs . Moreover families are more comfortable about sending their daughters to school..
I appreciate that our Indian government is also making good efforts for promoting girls education like recently they have launched “Saakshar Bharat Mission For Female Literacy” This mission aims to bring down female illiteracy by half of its present level.
According to International centre for research on women, the education that a girl receives is the strongest predicator of the age she will marry and it a would be a critical factor in reducing the prevalence of child marriage. I think poverty is the whole sole biggest barrier to the access of education, so school fee abolition is absolutely necessary. Moreover school near the slum area or in rural area should have flexible timings so that the families which deprive their daughter from going to school just because girls have to help their mother in daily house chores feel comfortable sending them to school.
Thus women’s education should be taken as a serious issue and steps should be taken to bring awareness about importance of education among every woman both in urban and rural area. This way many of the social problems like poverty, begging, child labor, child marriage and child mortality will be controlled up to some extent.
Tags: Education, Empowering, Girls, through
girls,education and house management
Oct 6, 2008 Girls
GIRLS, EDUCATION AND HOUSE MANGEMENT
In today’s world getting a proper education is a need. Whether in school or at home, it forms a major part of a youth’s future. This is especially true for women as they form the core of a home. Women are so hardworking making sure the house in total order with duties ranging from cooking to child upbringing. But with about 92% of time spent in schooling in a year will the girls of today be good house managers or great housewives in the future? Will they show themselves approved? We would be looking at detailed reasons and observatory and minor research results that bring doubt upon this matter.
From pre-nursery through nursery, primary, secondary, and high school to the university level, girls have taken an active part in education since the 60’s when girls weren’t allowed proper education until a few took bold steps and detached from the mindset of the cultural chart. They form a majority of the population in most schools with and increasing number both from the urban and rural areas involving in boarding life. This is true for Cameroon in West Africa.
For the boarders, about eight out of twelve months is spent totally in schools for all classes inclusive. Three months given for summer holidays is spent nowadays in holiday schools and a few weeks given before the resuming of another school year is spent on a vacation. Therefore in total its eleven out of twelve spent schooling. For the final Year students its more; Easter break is spent in school, and most often these students leave boarding school at year seven and move to the university. This a general view, but how much time is spent at home on this vital home education?
. Let’s reason together; less or no mother to daughter time is spent, hardly time to venture into the diversity of other cultures. This mother to daughter time includes; cookery, child upbringing, house management, farming, counseling on life and culture. From the above, it’s now safe to say more time spent in school means little or no time spent gaining knowledge in child upbringing, house management, farming, culture, and guided adventure as well as a lost touch in cuisine and therefore most of the cultural dishes which will constitute one of the most important aspects of a girl/woman/wife.
These are backed up by the increasing use of the “house girl”, girls taken mostly from the tropics and with families lacking in finance with a vast knowledge in house management. They usually stay at home and are delegated the authority of the woman in charge of most of the above mentioned task. At times they are maltreated though their hard work when their work is not in phase with the township life they hardly understand. In the University of Buea, student area, results from observation and a minor research show that an increasing number of girls don’t know how to cook for example while the boys are now up to the task. They lack manner even in their dressing which led to the vice chancellor passing a dressing code. However there are a few who understand these and some have expert knowledge in this field. I came across a family who take an active part in this education. The parents involve the children heavily in cookery, farming at home and even send them to cater for other children in relative’s houses. Interestingly there are very wealthy. What am trying to say is it’s about these values not money. I also know a few others who find difficulties concerning finance yet have little or no idea as concerns house management, though a family of girls. Most girls in the rural areas hardly find difficulties and a few of those attending day schools as well. But still the question still stands,”will there be good future housewives or house managers in the years to come especially with an increasing number of adolescent mothers?” No amount of general or technical education can teach these values in school. No amount of wealth can instill in these youths such amazing values, only importance attached to these values at home can make them learn its relevance and reliability. Would properly brought up children involve in, “scams”, a rush for money, lying about their identity and profession and getting money out of people through the use of the internet, which even leads them to cultic activities? I know a doctor whose child is now involved in scams and has no intention for school. Most are school dropouts. Do we know that,” bad companions ruin good character?” do you know children are a blessing and even a weapon to you parents? Do we know the talents we are letting go to waste? Such potential can be unlocked by these values. But will these values last?
It’s a matter which is of great concern .A women forms the base of a home and a nation. The chief and unseen values of culture are passed down chiefly by women, but what will it be like if these values are lost? I now understand why in the bible GOD said,” If you find a noble wife you find a good thing”. I pray to GOD in JESUS’ name that parents and guidance as well as the girls themselves should reason together and therefore properly plan time spent on home training rather than let them be experts in the field of general education. They could involve in music schools, home economic schools, schools for cattery and house management and even adventure into their respective native lands and also involve in farming and learning of the native tongue. I bet they would also enjoy tales and legends from granny’s and the inhabitants. They could find reasons why the young shouldn’t hold a cup with the left in the presence of elders and even how they should compose in their presence. After all it’s our origin and identity, and these could help unlock hidden talents and their passion and vision. The African culture which can only be learned by reason, purpose and commitment will be passed through generations. And the men and women with great values of yesterday and today will be born tomorrow. MEN as well have a part to play in all these but what will a man do without a woman? We are Africans lets keep the African spirit. What will blue collar jobs be if the women behind the desk have not the chief unseen values? Same for men but will even the men survive without the women? NO! Change is in our own hands. Let’s come and reason together and heal the world .Its the African spirit. ”women consider the matter”. After all, “CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME”, and GOD is our general manager.
Ngu Ish’mael Asaba
Student member,
ACCA (association of chartered certified accountants)
ishmael4u@yahoo.com
(237) 75458533.
Tags: girlseducation, House, Management