‘Girls should not go to schools, they cannot get education in co-educational schools, if girls are left illiterate the whole society would remain illiterate’– such callous comments were heard at every nook and corner in our country. However, this will not be the case any longer. According to a recent survey conducted by the Government of India, the top-most trend now in India is the steadily increasing Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for girls. This means that now more girls are getting educated. A welcome eye-opener, the survey establishes the fact that in the past 6 years there has been a massive growth in the enrollment rates of girls as compared to boys, at each level of education and almost in all the states of the country.
Another fact for the inhabitants of the city beautiful to be proud of is that, Chandigarh is one of those Union Territories(UTs) that have witnessed an increase in GER of girls in all the three levels of education i.e. Primary, Secondary and Higher. Apart from Chandigarh, states and UTs like Jharkhand, Meghalya, Puducherry, Telangana, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim also share the glory of an increased GER at all the three levels of education. However, if you all think that only these states and UTs are doing well then you are mistaken. States like Punjab, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Bihar, Mizoram, Nagaland, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh bag the honour of registering an increased GER for girls in two out of three levels of education.
Government has launched various initiatives like Right to Education and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan to bring the cause of girl education to the forefront. Many NGOs are also supporting the endeavor of the Government and one such NGO is Pratham.
Gone are the days when girls used to give up education mid-way, citing excuses like bad infrastructural facilities, lack of basic amenities in the schools and the like. The recent statistics stand in testimony to the realisation towards the importance of education for the women and more importantly by the women themselves. However, there is still a long road ahead for the nation to empower its women.
Reference:
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/FBu7bMb0tTKQxihKOu07zH/The-surprising-surge-of-girls-in-the-classroom.html
Very informative. .. keep up the great work.