The Right to Education Act in India was a major turning point for school education, it made education a fundamental right for children in the age group 6 to 14. The Act brought positive changes in the school education system which also benefited girls. Through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the umbrella scheme for implementation of RTE Act, critical barriers like access and inclusion were addressed to a large extent, this led to increase in enrolment at both the primary and upper primary level. Along with this, schemes like Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education emphasized secondary education of girls through scholarships, subsidies and incentives.
Critical Statistics on Girls’ Education
- At least 1.6 million girls in India remain out of school. Report by NCPCR (2018) suggests that 39.4% girls
- between 15-18 years of age are out of school.
- 57% girls drop-out upon reaching the 11th grade.
- Enrolment is 19.34 % at the elementary level which becomes 18.6% at the secondary level and 17.3 at the higher secondary level for SC girls.
- For ST girls it is worse at 10.35% at elementary level, which falls to 8.6% and eventually to 6.8% at the higher secondary level.
Underlying Causes
- Poverty and Entrenched Patriarchy
- Safety and Security of Girls
- Systemic Factors such as lack of conducive infrastructure, poor quality of education, lack of women teachers
- Intersectionality of gender, region, social class and religion affects
- Inadequate Budget
- Access to Online Education Difficult
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
- Right to Education: the need for a Continuum
- Safe and Secure Environment
- Ensure Quality and Equity
- Empowerment and Life Skills
- Governance and Financing for equitable and inclusive girls’ education