Girl's Education Scenario In India After Independence

The leaders of Indian freedom movement realized the magnitude of girls education and had put it as a prime focal point for national development

. However, when India attained independence years ago, it was an alarming challenge that the new government had to face. The national female literacy rate was an alarmingly low 8.9 per cent; Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for girls was 24.8 per cent at primary level and 4.6 per cent at the upper primary level. Social and cultural barriers to education of women and lack of access to organized schooling had to be addressed immediately. Increase in access to schooling has been matched by a steady increase in enrolment with the most dramatic upswing since 1990s in girls participation levels. From 13.8 million boys and 5.4 million girls enrolled at the primary level in 1950-51, the number rose to 69.7 million boys and 61.1 million girls in 2004-05.

The National Program for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) is a focused intervention of Government of India, to reach the Hardest to Reach girls, especially those not in school. Launched in July 2003, it is an important component of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). The program provides for development of a model school in every cluster with more intense community mobilization and supervision of girls enrolment in schools. Gender sensitization of teachers, development of gender-sensitive learning materials, and provision of need-based incentives like escorts, stationery, workbooks and uniforms are some of the endeavors under the program. The Executive Committee of the National Mission of SSA has on 23rd July, 2007 approved amendment of the guidelines for the implementation of NPEGEL to provide for block focused projects for girls at difficult circumstances under the NPEGEL program. In the new millennium, India has consolidated its earlier educational reforms with increased resources and stronger policy commitments for achieving elementary education for all children, particularly girls.

Basic education provides girls and women with an understanding of basic health, nutrition and family planning, giving them choices and the power to decide over their own lives and bodies. Educating girls and women is an important step in overcoming poverty. Inequality and poverty are not inevitable. The focus on poverty reduction enables the right to education to be a powerful tool in making a change in the lives of girls and women. The Government of India has lunched many schemes from time to time to increase girls participation in schools. But to spread the light of education, equal participation of each and every person in the country is strongly needed.

by: Naresh Jain

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