Nazma Shaffi
Poonch (J&K)
"If you educate a man, you educate an individual. If you educate a woman, you educate a nation"
Women are cradle of civilisation for progress and prosperity of any country. Their contribution in every field is very important. It is the women who are capable of building such children who may lead the country to the path of progress and prosperity.
Right to education is one of the most important human right. But unfortunately it is seen that girls education in rural areas suffered very much in our society. A woman's lack of education impact on nutritious status, level of fertility, awareness of their rights, autonomy in the household. Illiterate women also affects the society and other lives also.
"The education of a woman is the best way to save the environment"
Constitution of India guarantees free elementary education to both boys and girls up to the age of 14 years. Many schemes like 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Balika Samridhi Yojana, Sukanaya Samriddhi Yojana, CBSE Udaan scheme, National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Seconday Education, Dhanalakshmi Scheme'. But the community doesn't cooperate as they don't have awareness.
The parents in rural areas are less interested in educating their girls for many reasons, such as Traditional way of thinking, low level of education, poor understanding, lack of awareness. Other problems including lack of electricity, poor health facilities, poor transportation facilities are also responsible for the educational status of women in rural areas. People in rural areas think educating daughters is just a wastage of money, because they would have to live with their husband's families and couldn't prove to be an asset of their parents in their old age. Their traditional way of thinking is also a restriction on their daughters education. Just after attaining the age of 13-15, they feel sending girls to schools could prove to be unsafe for them. Educated and understanding parents show their interest to educate their daughters, but in rural areas that education is missin in parents and for this their daughters suffer a lot. Lack of awareness about the governmental schemes and facilities also exits. Inequality in education is also extreme. If the financial restrictions force to choose between the son of the daughter to educate, typically the son will be chosen. They consider son superior than daughters, even the birth of girl child doesn't a cause of happiness.
"To educate girls is to reduce poverty"
Girls are less likely to access School, to remain in School or to achieve education. Although they may be enrolled in schools at the beginning, but they don't always remain in schools. After attaining the age of puberty, they're forced to marry, those who get married at this age wouldn't be able to continue their studies even if they have an extreme desire for it. Very often if the parents want to educate their daughters, the accessibility to a school becomes a problem and sending the girls to the town alone is considered unsafe, many a times if the school is located in the village it's infrastructure, the student teacher ratio, no toilets, less number of female teachers also the problem.
Even though Rural areas female literacy rate has registered a little growing over the last few years, but it has not been able to impart the kind of education that modern times demand. The physical presence is recorded, however no fruitful learning is indicative in their academic knowledge and performance. No laboratory, no literary system is available in rural schools. Modern education demand for technology. And there is no access to technology is seen in rural areas. The competition for males and females, urbans and rural students is same in all fields, but the sources provided to rural areas students especially girls is different. They've to compromise and sacrifice when it comes to family issues and have to deal with family problems.
Educate Girls, Educate Society.
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