‘Learning’_to_Improve_the_Status_of_Women_in_India.

‘Learning’ to Improve the Status of Women in India. Rural India: Discussing how Illiteracy and a poor Education System play a role in Gender Inequality. The movie "Matrubhoomi" has been based in the rural areas of Bihar. The set-up is that of a village, which is entirely cut out from the 'real' world. The movie has tried to bring about a sort of awareness about the social problems the people face on a day to day basis. To give a brief overview of the movie before getting into the issues which have been discussed in this article - The villagers, maybe not entirely their fault, but they are on the verge of being completely illiterate, their is a lack of care for human life as we can see people ruthlessly ready to kill their own new born daughter, let alone a stranger. The natural human quality of greed is augmented in this particular village, much like any other rural set-up in India. In all this chaos it becomes difficult to remain sober and above it all, especially for the fickle minded common man. This Essay will discuss the Problems of Education and the extent of Gender Inequality in Rural India. It will touch topics which include the Privatization and the Poor Quality of Education, as well as the discrimination faced by the Women of Rural India. In a modern society, education is a very important sector. Education, at the individual level helps in the process of socialisation. At the level of society, it ensures that wisdom and knowledge passes from one generation to the others and the new and modern knowledge is absorbed by the present generation. The government of every nation is particularly careful about the educational sector because it is crucial for the development of that nation. Thus traditionally the task of educating people has fallen on the government more, so, if the government has adopted welfare approach, as is done today by most nations. It has been argued that privatisation of education is necessary from several stand points. In the first place, education has become a very expensive venture which the government cannot afford. Secondly, the educational infrastructure of the government is poor. There are shortages of school buildings, teaching staff and other facilities. The government lacks resources. All these adversely affect the overall equality of education. It has also been suggested that since the government spends so much on education and is not able to reap the proportionate rewards due to several reasons, therefore, education should be privatised. This is especially true for higher education like advanced research which costs the government a fortune. Given these facts, privatisation of education has been proposed. But, for a poor country like India, privatisation of education will not be without its unmitigated negative aspects. First of all, how many Indian families can really afford the high cost of private education' Most of the Indian population still lives below the poverty line. Will it then be possible for these families to afford the cost of private education, especially when India is all for the universalizing of primary education' It is also feared that the entry of private sector in the field of education will distort education. It will become elitist and capitalist in nature. Technically skilled work-force will cater to the demands of the big industrial houses, rather than thinking in terms of nationalist goals. Privatisation of education will further widen the gulf dividing the rich and the poor. Keeping these problems in mind, it is suggested that the government should keep primary and secondary education in its own hands. The higher education and technical education should be guided by the government, while at the same time should be left free to mobilise its own resources. In addition one can look at another perspective to the problem of education, leaning towards the extent of illiteracy in rural India. We are bumbling along with this outdated system of elementary education, which is a real shame. Illiteracy rates in many third world countries are alarmingly high; nestled in the heart of Asia, India's education program is falling behind other nations. It is a country where the population will reach one billion people by the next century, while only one-third of them will be able to read. Due to various social and economic problems India's education program continues to be neglected. Of the biggest victims of the educational system are those living in rural areas. The attitudes of the children and teachers also affect the quality of the schools. Allocation of government funds and the conditions of the destitute rural schools contribute to the low quality of education by rural children. While there are many rural school systems which are operating in poor conditions there is one in particular whose schools outperform most other rural schools and also those located in wealthy areas of India. Consequently, Kerala, a rural state of India remains a puzzle to many educators. Its illiteracy rate does not follow the trend of most rural schools. (Matthew, 1999) Many children living in rural areas receive a level of education which is very poor. Overall enrollment in primary and middle schools are very low. Most of children living in these areas leave school before the fifth grade. These children leave school for variety of reasons: some leave because of lack of interest; most leave so that they can work in the fields, where the hours are long and the pay is low. A large portion of the dropouts are females. Forced by their parents, most girls perform chores and tend the family at home. These are some of the reasons why more females are uneducated as compared to men. As these children grow into adults, many are still illiterate by the age of forty. These uneducated adults are also reluctant to send their own children to school because of their failure in the education system. This in turn creates a problem for the next generation. It ends up into a vicious cycle of illiteracy. While the children living in rural areas continue to be deprived of a quality education, part of the reason why is due to their teachers. A large number of teachers refuse to teach in rural areas and those that do are usually under qualified. In recent years the number of qualified teachers has increased because of increased efforts by the government and private groups to improve the general education and professional training of teachers ("Democratizing the quality," 2011). There is more of an emphasis on the training of rural teachers, whose educational backgrounds are generally not as sound as their urban counterparts. Those that refuse to teach in rural areas cite distance and lack of interest by students as problems. Many of the teachers also lack the enthusiasm to teach because of their meager salary. Another obstacle faced by the schools is that obtaining more teachers for rural schools is difficult because of state guidelines that approve of high student-to-teacher ratios ("Democratizing the quality," 2011). As the lack of teachers creates many obstacles for children in rural schools, another setback is the lack of resources which becomes detrimental to the learning process. Lack of books and other reading materials seem to be a widespread problem. The use of high-tech devices such as computers is very rare. Another condition of the schools is the inadequate facilities the classes are actually taught in. Some schools are located in warehouses while others in small houses. Many of the rural schools operate without electricity. While many rural schools search for the proper resources, the distribution of government funds is major hindrance to the educational system. A high illiteracy rate in rural parts of India is an area of the Indian education system that cannot be overlooked. Hampered by the government and by other factors the quality of education in rural districts has been quite poor. High dropout rates and low enrollment by the children have contributed to the large illiteracy rate. Kerala, a rural state of India boasts many areas of progress and serves as a model for other rural areas and many of the wealthier parts of India. Without drastic changes by the government and by its citizens, India is well on its way to becoming the world's most illiterate nation. Another problem that exists in most of Rural as well as some of the urban areas in India is the vast Gender Inequality. Sociologically the word ‘gender’ refers to the socio-cultural definition of man and woman, the way societies distinguish men and women and assign them social roles. The distinction between sex and gender was introduced to deal with the general tendency to attribute women's subordination to their anatomy ("Gender inequality,”). For ages it was believed that the different characteristics, roles and status accorded to women and men in society are determined by sex, that they are natural and therefore not changeable. Gender is seen closely related to the roles and behavior assigned to women and men based on their sexual differences. As soon as a child is born families and society begin the process of gendering. The birth of the son is celebrated, the birth of a daughter filled with pain; sons are showered with love, respect, better food and proper health care. Boys are encouraged to be tough and outgoing; girls are encouraged to be homebound and shy. All these differences are gender differences and they are created by society. Gender inequality is therefore a form of inequality which is distinct from other forms of economic and social inequalities. It dwells not only outside the household but also centrally within it. It stems not only from pre-existing differences in economic endowments between women and men but also from pre-existing gendered social norms and social perceptions. Gender inequality has adverse impact on development goals as reduces economic growth. It hampers the overall well being because blocking women from participation in social, political and economic activities can adversely affect the whole society. Many developing countries including India have displayed gender inequality in education, employment and health. It is common to find girls and women suffering from high mortality rates. There are vast differences in education level of two sexes. India has witnessed gender inequality from its early history due to its socio-economic and religious practices that resulted in a wide gap between the position of men and women in the society. Statistics reveal that in India males significantly outnumber females and this imbalance has increased over time. The sex ratio according to 2001 census report stands at 927 per 1000 males. Out of the total population, almost half are women who live in abject poverty. The maternal mortality rate in rural areas is among the world’s highest (Martin, 2008). Women face discrimination right from the childhood. Gender disparities in nutrition are evident from infancy to adulthood. In fact, gender has been the most statistically significant determinant of malnutrition among young children and malnutrition is a frequent, direct or indirect, cause of death among young girls below age 5 (Martin, 2008). Girls are breast-fed less frequently and for a shorter duration in infancy. In childhood and adulthood, males are fed first and better. Nutritional deprivation has two major consequences for women: they never reach their full growth potential, and suffer from anemia, which are risk factors in pregnancy. This condition complicates childbearing and results in women and infant deaths, and low birth weight infants. The tradition also requires that women eat last and least throughout their lives even when pregnant and lactating. Malnourished women give birth to malnourished children, perpetuating the cycle. Women receive less healthcare facilities than men. A primary way that parents discriminate against their girl children is through neglect during illness. As an adult they tend to be less likely to admit that they are sick and may wait until their sickness has progressed far before they seek help or help is sought for them. Many women in rural areas die in childbirth due to easily preventable complications. Women's social training to tolerate suffering and their reluctance to be examined by male personnel are additional constraints in their getting adequate health care. The Constitution of India ensures gender equality in its preamble as a fundamental right but also empowers the state to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favor of women by ways of legislation and policies. India has also conducted various international conventions and human rights forums to secure equal rights of women. Women have been finding place in local governance structures, overcoming gender biases. The Government also has been taking measures to bring out advancement, development and empowerment of women ("Women empowerment -,”). As persistent gender inequalities continue we need to rethink concepts and strategies for promoting women's dignity and rights. There is a need for new kinds of institutions, incorporating new norms and rules that support equal and just relations between women and men. Today women are organizing themselves to meet the challenges that are hampering their development. To wind up this essay, one can definitely substantiate that it is a combination of the different factors which lead to such a poor and barbaric civilization among the rural areas of India. Education plays a very significant role in the set up of the social structure of any society or community, be it a village, town, etc. If people are educated then hope still lies that moral values might get the better of people and inspire them to lead better lives and coexist in harmony. The Education System is very flawed as well, improvement is essential in moulding future leaders of the country. Moving onto Gender Equality, it shares a direct relationship with the improvement in education levels. India will have to make a conscious effort in order to tackle all these problems simultaneously, as that is the surest method to achieve some sort of humane and organised society which can work together for the common good. References. 1) Matthew, E. T. (1999, September 25th). Growth of literacy in Kerala. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/4806/kerala-literacy 2) Democratising the quality of education for all children in India. (2011, February 9th). Retrieved from http://prayatna.typepad.com/education/teachers_salaries 3) Martin, Cami. (2008, May 7th). Growing gender inequality in India. Retrieved from http://www.globalenvision.org/node/1769 4) Women empowerment - a reality or myth. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.azadindia.org/social-issues/Women-Empowerment.html 5) Gender inequality. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.azadindia.org/social-issues/GenderInequality.html