In this paper, I will critically discuss on gender issues in education from micro to macro perspectives. I will also put teachers view on the same issues who responded during the interview session. During the interview with government teacher, I felt his view was very much reserved and close to tradition and societal norms. On the other hand, elite teacher opinion was much modern thinking towards gender issues. Finally I got a sense that both of them seemed to be accepting that “we are not part of system, we are just teacher, we do not have sufficient autonomy and freedom to take decision and to go beyond the traditional hegemony.”
The Issue of Retention
“The enrollment of girls has increased, but the dropout rate of girls from marginalized and specially from the upper primary level upwards is extremely high”(NCF,2005,pp.1). BMC teacher was quite aware about the fact that girls at this very age drop out because of puberty and adolescent. He also said that during11 to 14 age girls grown up. So being elder of the family among the brothers and sisters, she is supposed to take care at home. On the other hand , private school teacher said that this kind of incident rarely happens in her school. She said that issues of drop out happens more in govt. school because because parents do not bother and have much concerns about girls education. She was of view that almost children who study in private good school like us irrespective of gender and caste, religion, ,belong to decent family. Therefore this type of situation hardly happens.
Educationa as a Means of Socialisation and Social Control
“Formal education or schooling involves moving into public spaces, interaction with males(in co-educational school and with men teachers)” ”(NFG,2005.pp.2)It is interesting to note that govt teacher was very much open and clever to say that schools are not as social control and socialization. But school is a place where children receive moral education how to live their life and all. We provide good education. He was of opine that without education, children can not develop in their life. If school is considered as social control, it is not bad. School is a place where we children get socialized and civilized ,how to treat with others and respect for elders. Without schooling, children will be like wild animal. Socialization of children is necessary because, without rule and norms children could go wrong path way. So , to bring them on the right track, socialization is very necessary.
Whereas, private teacher was bit liberal in this case. She said that we do not punish them time and again. We make children realize that they committed mistake. Although, she believes that children need to be molded in decent behavior. We expect from every children to talks politely and respect others. Children learns courtesy words from schools and their classmates. We do not restrict them in a boundary. They can make friendship with girls . No problem. But they should respect the dignity of school and teachers, while going beyond certain limitation. In our school, girls and boys can seat anywhere, they want.
Implication for girls as students
“Socialization and education reinforce each other. Schooling becomes another form of domestication. For example, school textbooks depicts this gender based domestic division of labor.” (NFG,2005.pp.4). It is often seen in many schools that girls are treated same manners as they get treated at home. In schools, The girls seems to do all the mundane chores, like serving water or , fetching water and making tea for the teachers or visitor, family. So it is a question that what is the difference between school and home if both are doing indoctrination in the same manner ?
Govt teacher believes that bring water is not big deal. It is petty and easy task so they are supposed to do. Boys are supposed to do harder work because they can do it quickly. Girls can not go everywhere, as compare to boy. If suppose they go outside ans something might happen. Who would be responsible for that? So it is our moral duty to take care of girls when they inter school. We want children betterment, read write and grow.
On the contrary, private teacher said that in our school, we do not have such kind division of labour in our school. We treat and assign them equal task and expect to do the same. We want that both should get equal opportunity and to do their best. As teacher we are only facilitator.
Heterogeneous Gendered Realities and Domain and Challenges in Education.
In case, the dimensions of rurality, class, caste and tribe, religion and disabilities are further complicated by contemporary political and socio-economic forces to create cumulative disadvantages.” (NFG,2005.pp.5)
It is pertinent to note that govt teacher says that it is fact that rurality is considered a sign for backwardness. In rural areas they are paucity of schools. Schools are located quite far away. In case of girls, it become more problematic to go to school. Parents do not allow girls to go school. They say that better to do homework, distance learning and embroidering and weaving. Parents are very much concern about chastity of girls. Whereas for boys , it does not matter boys can go. Boys will get easily bicycle to there because their education is more important than girls . But in case of girls, scarcity of money and for boys they will borrow money because they are the earning source in future.
SC/ST girls’ schooling, gendered labor and socialization:
“Poor SC/ST parents are unable to send their children to ‘free’ schools because of costs other than the tuition fee and of forgone income from the children’s work.” ”(NFG,2005.pp.5)
Govt. Teacher think in this regard that SC/ST girls face more problem being born in poor family. They are bound to carry out their traditional job to become able to maintain the family. But private teacher had no idea about the SC/ST girls. Even she did not know who are SC/ST?
Govt has made many provision and plan but seems that all is not to be well. SC/ST children face more difficulties in terms of language when they track their change from one board to another. In that case , reservation, scholarship, do not serve more beneficial. They feel dire need of remedial classes to improve their language for better communication because language is the medium through which one is judged. Therefore, it is necessary to bring into light NPE (GOI1986) had declared: ‘the central focus in the SC’s educational development is their equalization with the non-SC population in all stages and levels of education, in all area and in all four dimensions-rural and urban, male and female. The policy focused on incentives, scholarship, reservations, recruitment of teachers, location of school buildings and most important ‘constant micro-planning and verification to ensure that the enrolment, retention and successful completion of courses by SC students do not fall at any stage alongside provision of remedial courses to improve their prospects for further education and employment’(GOI 1986).
Muslim girls’ education: financial constrains and communal factors:
“They hold that the guise of ‘religious freedom’ madarasas actually impart a religious education that interprets the freedom to practice gender inequality. Their argument against the new trend towards ‘modernisation of madarasas’ is that this will tend to dis empower muslim girls and deny them a chance of a secular education.” (NFG,2005.pp.10)
In this case, govt. teacher believes that muslim parents are not interested in education. Even parents are also less educated that is why they do not send their daughters to school. Parents do not understand the relevance of education. Another aspect that they are more interested in madarasa and do not like to send their daughters in formal school.
On the other hand, private school teacher believes that main problem is money. Muslim parents like to send their daughters to school but they prefer madarasa because they are fundamentalist. Muslim educated parents like to send their girls in formal but otherwise they prefer their school (madarasas) because they do not expect from their daughters to be officer and all. If girls get educated more, she will become as problem for parents to search more educated groom.
The challenges of globlisation:
“polarization of schooling is creating imbalances which are severely gendered, with parents deciding to send their sons to private schools, whatever their quality in the hope that this education will afford some upward economic mobility.” ”(NFG,2005.pp.11)
Govt. teacher takes a stand that it is simple matter that girls will not become the bread winner of family so why to waste money. If she goes to govt. school what is the problem? She is not going to take part in any competition. It is boy who has to compete with many people. If he will not get decent and quality education, he might not get good job. So if he goes to private school, he will learn many things and will bring happiness in family after getting job. Girls are not our property, she is second property. Ultimately, she has to leave the home after getting married. Therefore, parents put more emphasis towards boys who will command the family rather than girls.
Private teacher thinks that education matters . She thinks that if parents are well educated they will certainly send their girls in private school without biasness. It is illiterate parents who do this kind of discrimination between girls and boys. But is it fact that sometime due to economical imbalance people prefer to send their daughters in govt school. Parents spend more money by sending their boys in good school because they will become the backbone of family in future. Parents send their daughter in govt school to save money so that they can further spare on their daughters' marriage.
Language as a new market of discrimination against girls in the context of Employment:
Govt. school teacher says that English is hard subject. It is difficult to read and write for girls if they are sent in English medium school. Boys are leborious and if they are not able to do that. Boys will do hard work. Even though, boys are able to do , they will be beaten by teachers, getting good environment and good friend then they will become perfect master.
Whereas, private school teacher does not accept that it is a discrimination. He thinks that family occupation matters in this regard. If they are economically sound, they would definitely send their daughters in English medium school.
It is parents stereotype thinking that makes difference in enrollment of schools. It seems that even parents are able to afford , although they would not like to send their daughters in Private school. We can look at this data “In Mumbai, the ratio of boys to girls in English schools is approximately 3:1, whereas in Pune the ratio of boys to girls in Urdu schools is 1:4.” It is clear that language has become a marker of discrimination against girls in the context of employment”(NFG,2005.pp.11)
Discrimination against girls are common in schools. It happens through the language used by the teachers. the content of the text book where text is mostly male oriented. During the discussion with the children , the girls says that teachers ‘scold the girls more but punish (including beating) the boys more. We can see another forms of discrimination by text “ Also there is a bias in the language use with terms like ‘mankind’, ‘manmade’, ‘ businessmen’ etc. used. Surprisingly, the Grade vii (new) and vii textbooks which talks about “Giving girls their chance”, presents these examples of gender unfairness. ( Shugra Chunawala,2008.pp. 83)
The importance of sexuality education
“School should also create the space for frank and healthy discussions that enable all young people to come to terms with the role of sexuality in their lives, encourage them to experience freedom from shame, and help them to develop the confidence to express what they see as right or wrong.” (NFG,2005.pp.13)
Girls with disabilities-doubly discriminated”
“Nevertheless, the number of the girls with disabilities is substantial enough to underscore the double discrimination faced by them in terms of gender and disability and multiple discriminations if they also belong to the socially disadvantaged sections of society.” (NFG,2005.pp.13).
Teachers often segregate children on the basis of gender and make them to seat separate. For example “recent studies of Betul and Hisar districts conforms the persistence of a segregated pattern of seating children.(see chpt. 8 and 10). Though these particular forms of discrimination have not been witnessed in Nanded district, Maharashtra, that it exists is clear from the fact that boys are asked twice as many questions as girls.”( Vimala Ramachandran,2004.pp 159)
Review of Policies
As of now, there are so many policy and scheme have been made but the stark reality is still maintain. We can understand that whether because of bad policy or bad implementation, policy does not get implemented on the ground. We can read these policy and committee report who play with words. “The most radical departure from the view that girls ‘needed’ a different education came with the recommendations of the Hansa Mehta committee on differentiation of curricula for boys and girls (1964).”(NFG,2005.pp.14)
NPE,1986 gives emphasis on women’s education. it states that,” Education will be used as an agent of basic change in the status of women. In order to neutralize accumulate distortions of the past, there will be a well-conceived edge in favour of women. The the national educationa system will play a positive interventionist role in the empowerment of women..”(NCF,2005.pp.1).
Nationalising Women’s Education:
The education Commission Report (1964-66),however, while debunking gender differences as socially constructed and unscientific, it circumscribed their agency outside of motherhood to choice of ‘careers’,thereby limiting its concerns to the education of urban, middle-class women, who in its vision, could be educated to contribute to national development.” (NFG,2005.pp.14)
Towards Equality:
“The Committee on the status of Women in India (CSWI) concluded that women’s productive roles had hitherto remained unacknowledged in policies and consequently their needs had remained un-addressed.”(NFG,2005.pp.15)
“The Sharma Shakti report on Self-employed Women and Women of the Informal Sector was the first committee which made visible the role and contribution of women in the unorganized sector of the economy.”(NFG,2005.pp.15)
The NCSRT also brought a series of teachers’ handbooks to address gender equality in classroom through curricular transactions.
NCF (2000) Gender –girls and women (biological category)
As an isolated category, in terms of provision of equal facilities.
is not just a womens issue…. It’s a peoples issues.s
‘’Equality’ as goal through, increasing representation, sensitive portyals of discrimination, portyal positive role models, sameness approach. It should be corrective model, not formal approach, equality in terms of outcome.
“The aims of education committed to gender equality cannot be merely to provide girls equal access to education, because “ there is a world of difference the equal right to education and right to equal education.” (NFG,2005.pp.19)
‘Empowerment’ understood as instrumental ways as education for effective implemenatation of, beter hygiene, two child norm,pop control, upholding traditionand spiritual values, improving social cohesion.supplemenatry income generation. ”(NFG,2005.pp.19).
“Empowerment’ of girls however, is not a product, it is a process. It is the process by which they can challenge relations of power and take control of their lives to assert their rights as independent human beings.”(NFG,2005.pp.26)
The Hidden Curriculum-Beyong tokenism
The dominance of a textbook culture has meant that teachers begin teaching not with what the children know or have experienced but with what they do not know and have not experienced. ”(NFG,2005.pp.21)
The used word seems very confusing and ambiguous when they mention the role of Dr. B.R. Ambedakar in making the constitution of India. They use the word which children may learn and memorize. But later it may be forgotten because they have not understood what does this word stand for ’father of the Indian constitution’. For instance “Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedakar (1891-1956) is considered the father of the Indian constitution and is also the best known leader of the Dalits”. (p.20).
The used word seems very confusing and ambiguous when they mention the role of Dr. B.R. Ambedakar in making the constitution of India. They use the word which children may learn and memorize. But later it may be forgotten because they have not understood what does this word stand for ’father of the Indian constitution’. For instance “Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedakar (1891-1956) is considered the father of the Indian constitution and is also the best known leader of the Dalits”. (p.20).
On the contrary, the way the textbook maker’s project, for other members (dominant and powerful group) very clear presentation. So at first instance, NCERT textbook identity seems that it might be biased. One might say also that there is exclusion of Dalit Icon from this picture. For instance, “some of the members who wrote the constitution of India.” (class VI,p.22).
In fact, Schools as institutions that embody collective traditions and human intentions which are the products of identifiable social and economic ideologies. If much of the literature on what schools tacitly teach is accurate, then the specific functions may be more economic than intellectual. If we are honest with ourselves, we must acknowledge that the curriculum field has it is a root in the soil of social control. For instance, “Whose meanings are collected and distributed through the overt and hidden curricula in school? That is, as Marx was fond of saying, reality does not stalk around with a label. The curriculum in schools responds to and represents ideological and cultural resources that come from somewhere. Not all groups’ visions are represented and not all groups’ meanings are responded to. How then, do schools act to distribute this cultural capital? Whose reality stalks in corridors and classrooms of America schools? ((Nancy King,p.44).
Masculinity
“Boys and men also suffer from the stereotyping that exists in a patriarchal culture. Boys are discouraged from being emotional, gentle and caring or from admitting to being weak or fearful. They are thrust into the role of breadwinners, protectors, warriors.”(NFG,2005.pp.7)
Govt. teacher thinks that boys are physically more stronger than girl that is why they are called masculine. Whereas private school teacher views that if girl gets same opportunity she can also become physically strong what boy can do.
we see that the construction gender is done through textbook. Schools are the centre where gender construct are embedded by way of teaching. In schools boys are told right from the beginning that you are boy you should not weep or cry. We can look at this photo which reflects how children are laughing and cutting jokes, when a boy weeps. For instance in textbook it is given through illustration “As babies or children when boys fall and hurt themselves, their parents and other family member often console them by saying ‘Don’t cry’. You are a boy. Boys are brave, they don’t cry.”
(class VI,p.15).
There is masculinity and feminity construction into classroom. Girls are considered quiet, passive whereas boys are regarded haraami, active. There is effect of this genetic term in the classroom. For example,”Our teacher does not scold, so nobody sits quiet. Even if she does shout nobody listens. The boys are all haraami…the girls listen, but the boys don’t… They trouble me. They hit me back. (Bhattacharjee, p.367).
Impact of textbooks and curricula
The textbook imagery reflects the idea of women as care-givers and by showing them predominantly as housewives. But in few those instances where they are portrayed in other brave, they appear again in the care-giving role. For instance, “Éxceptional women like Rani Jhansi and Madame Curie were still defined by their domestic roles- textbook writers were careful to point that despite everything they continued to perform their domestic roles.” (NFG,2005.pp.20)
In case of Madam Curie, we see that she has been portrayed both aspects private work (home) and as scientist. She had to do both domestic responsibilities being women. For instance, “even she busies herself in the laboratory, surrounded by chemical fluids, test, tubes and complicated experiment not to mention her scientist-husband. We are informed” Maria used to do to do all the house, wash clothes, cook food and wash dishes. After two years, she gave birth to a girl child. This increased the load of work but did not affect the quality of her work.”(Bhog,p.1641).
Class VI textbook deals with concepts like ‘prejudice’ while giving the reference of rural and urban people. Textbook defines’ Prejudice’ means to judge other people negatively or see them as inferior. But the textbook does not give the proper note to the teachers that it is prejudice (wrong thinking) which is not always right. How one can assume that all teachers are wise and rational? There is possible that teachers might take it wrong sense that he/she may believe that rural people are dirty, ignorant and superstitious and urban people are spoilt, lazy, cannot be trusted. For instance, (class VI p. 14) ‘’below are some statements on people living in rural and urban areas tick mark those that you agree with
A study by HBCSE on gender aspects of illustrations and writing in the NCERT science textbooks for Grade iii to x came out with new finding. They found that textbooks presents gender biases in various ways. They found lin their study less female figures are shown in stereotypical images (mother, nurse, teachers, etc). Women’s are shown in restricted in domestic occupations. Whereas, they found that men are portrayed in a variety of activities which are economic in nature towards public -sphere. For example.
Figure 1.(classVII,p.4) Figure 2. (class VII,p.5)
The NCERT textbook class VII standard has used slang language in the content representation. They have used now and then ‘Dalit’ word is not appropriate according to the dignity of human being. The Indian constitution recognizes every person as equal. It means that every individual in the country irrespective of caste, class, gender, religion and region are recognized as equal. But the use of derogatory term ‘Dalit’ in the textbook is not suiting from any point. Indian constitution does not allow these types of word to refer any community or caste which may hurt their sentiment and emotion. To address any caste or community, Indian constitution had made certain provision to use decent word like SC/ ST. To use of such derogatory terminology and slang is violating dignity of targeted caste (SC/ST) and against equality of democracy in the classroom. For example,
(Class VII,p.8)
And also the manner, in which caste system and untouchability are presented in the NCERT textbooks class VI and VII, is hurting, shameful, embarrassing and undesirable. It violets human dignity and also threats the existence of the democracy of a nation. Now question arise how a teacher will address this ‘Dalit’ terminology in the class ? For instance “Now let us read a story about the experience of a Dalit child attending school. You have already read about Dalits in the class VI book. Dalit is a term that the so-called lower castes use to address themselves. Dalit means ‘broken’ and by using this word. Lower castes are pointing to how they were, and continue to be, seriously discriminated against”. ( Class VII,p.7)
However, the textbook is very rich and full of worth. A classroom belongs to various backgrounds of caste, class, and religion and region. How one can speak or teach like this? Is it the suitable and appropriates what NCERT textbook presenting in the name of the chapter ‘Equality’? The moment ‘Dalit’ word is addressed, in the classroom, which refers to certain lower caste, they start feeling uncomfortable in the classroom. It can be avoided, if teachers use, according to Constitution of India, SC/ST for lower caste, then this situation will not arise.
There is no space either within or outside the classroom for cooperation and healthy interaction between boys and girls. Even the games they play are different. during schoolevents, items presented are organized separately for boys and girls.
Conclusion
We can conclude by saying that gender is not issues of men or women, it is a matter of people. Gender is cutting across irrespective of caste ,class and religion. As we know that women have been historically marginalized from their rights. Our education system needs introspection and deliberation on the part of the policy makers, bureaucracy , teachers and also from curriculum developer agencies in producing textbook a success reality with rational objectives on the ground without biased. Let’s not make difference between girls and boys because if one girl gets educated she will educate everybody of the family. Through education , she can assert her right to power and equal dignity in the society. Therefore, we need to discuss about gender and also “There is an urgent need now for serious inquiry into curricula, content and the gendered construction of knowledge, as well as a more critical and pro-active approach to issues of gender.”( ”(NFG,2005.pp.5)
REFERENCES
Vandana Madan. Content Analysis of Classroom Processes Studies; Vimala Ramachandran,2004.(ed.) Gender and Social Equity in Primary Education; Hierarchies of Access.Sage,New Delhi.
Vimala Ramachandran,2004.(ed.) Gender and Social Equity in Primary Education; Hierarchies of Access.Sage,New Delhi.
National Policy on Education (1986) and Programme of Action (1986). New Delhi: GOI.
Dipta Bhog, Gender and Curriculum.
Nell P. Stromquist,Molly Lee Birgit Brock-Utne, The Explicit and the Hidden School Curriculum
