7.Education of the Girl Child

[Lecture notes  prepared by  Ms. Sheena Jose A, Asst. Professor, IASE, Trissur.]

Literacy

*The number of literate women among the female population of India was between 2–6% from the British Raj onwards to the formation of the Republic of India in 1947.

*Concerted efforts led to improvement from 15.3% in 1961 to 28.5% in 1981.

*By 2001 literacy for women had exceeded 50% of the overall female population, though these statistics were still very low compared to world standards and even male literacy within India

*The current literacy rate of India is 74.04% (2011 Census)

*There is a wide gender disparity in the literacy rate in India: effective literacy rates (age 7 and above) in 2011 were 82.14% for men and 65.46% for women.

*The youth literacy rate, measured within the age group of 15 to 24, is 81.1% (84.4% among males and 74.4% among females), while 86% of boys and 72% of girls are literate in the 10-19 age group.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (elementary education)

National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL)

Principle:

*Gender concern, implying not only an effort to enable girls to keep pace with boys but to view education in the perspective spelt out in the National Policy on Education 1986 /92; i.e. a decisive intervention to bring about a basic change in the status of women.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya

*Provide educational facilities for girls belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minority communities and families below the poverty line in Educationally Backward Blocks.

Objective: Gender disparities still persist in rural areas and among disadvantaged communities. Looking at enrollment trends, there remain significant gaps in the enrollment of girls at the elementary level as compared to boys, especially at the upper primary levels. The objective of KGBV is to ensure that quality education is feasible and accessible to the girls of disadvantaged groups of society by setting up residential schools with boarding facilities at elementary level.

National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education

*To promote enrolment of girl child in the age group of 14-18 at secondary stage, especially those who passed Class VIII and to encourage the secondary education of such girls, the Centrally Sponsored Scheme. National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education was launched in May, 2008.

*A sum of Rs. 3,000/- is deposited in the name of eligible girls as fixed deposit. The girls are entitled to withdraw the sum along with interest thereon on reaching 18 years of age and on passing 10th class examination.

Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (Integrated)

*RMSA is a major scheme launched in March, 2009 with the vision of making secondary education of good quality available, accessible and affordable to all young persons in the age group 15-16 years.

*Girls hostels

Mahila Samakhya Programme

*The National Policy on Education, 1986 recognised that the empowerment of women is possibly the most critical pre-condition for the participation of girls and women in the educational process. The Mahila Samakhya programme was launched in 1988 to pursue the objectives of the National Policy on Education, 1986. It recognised that education can be an effective tool for women’s empowerment.

Sukanya Samriddhi Account  (Girl Child Prosperity Account)

*Sukanya Samriddhi Account is a Government of India backed saving scheme targeted at the parents of girl children. The scheme encourages parents to build a fund for the future education and marriage expenses for their female child

*MoWCD

Sabla or Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls

*Empowering adolescent girls (Age) of 11–18 years with focus on out-of-school girls by improvement in their nutritional and health status and upgrading various skills like home skills, life skills and vocational skills. Merged Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG) and Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY)

*MoWCD

Indira Gandhi Scholarship

*Scholarship for Single Girl Child with an aim to compensate direct costs of girl education to all levels especially for such girls who happen to be the only girl child in their family.