Challenges and Social Problems of Girl Child Education in India
Back to: Contemporary India and Education – Unit 5
In India, the SRB or sex ratio at birth accounts for an estimated 896: 1000 for females and males respectively. The difference in this ratio is not a normal occurrence mainly due to the societies following patriarchy even in the modern age. In the past few decades, the government has paid more attention to the life of a girl child and various schemes have been developed and implemented to foster the welfare of the girl child.
The most important schemes related to the welfare of the girl child are as follows.
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao
This scheme was launched by the government on January 22, 2015, in Haryana. The main aim of this scheme is to prevent the girl child from getting aborted and to give them universal access to education.
CBSE Udaan Scheme
This scheme is a collaboration between CBSE and the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Indian Government. It aims to increase women’s enrolment in prestigious academic institutions across India.
Balika Samriddhi Yojana
This scheme is a scholarship initiative to offer financial aid to girls who come from poor economic backgrounds. The main aim is to improve the social status and enrolment of girls in schools.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
The scheme is also known as Women Child Prosperity Account and has been created as a savings program for parents of girls. Its main aim is to reduce the issues of dowry and marriage costs prevalent in India.
Ladli Scheme and the Kanya Kosh Scheme
Haryana was reported to have one of the worst birth sex ratios in 2011 accounting for 834 girls for 1000 people. This scheme was developed to offer a financial reward of Rs. 5000/- per year to parents who give birth to a girl child after August 2005.
National Scheme of Incentive for the Girls of Secondary Education
This scheme aims to enable girls coming from a deprived financial background to complete their secondary education.
Ladli Laxmi Yojana of Madhya Pradesh
The main aim of this scheme is to improve the girls’ health and educational development. It also aims to decrease female foeticide.
Karnataka Bhagyashree Scheme
The scheme offers financial aid to the girl child by offering healthcare coverage and aims to increase the birth of girls.
Mazi Kanya Bhagyashree Scheme from the Government of Maharashtra
This scheme offers financial aid to families of girl children and aims to improve their living conditions.
The Chief Minister’s Girl Child Protection Scheme of Tamil Nadu
The scheme deposits a sum of Rs. 50,000/- to the family with one girl child and encourages the prevention of gender equality. It fosters women’s empowerment.
The challenges and social problems of girl child education in India are as follows:
Poverty
Even though education may be free, there are still some expenses parents have to incur and those belonging to a poor social class may therefore refrain from sending their children to school.
Narrow Mindset
Even though the government has introduced many schemes to promote the education of girls in India, several societies in remote areas continue to be rigid with their patriarchal beliefs and do not allow girls to be educated or promote their development.
An attitude of Indifference
There is an air of indifferent attitude by the higher authorities which leads to a lack of effort in the promotion of girl child education.
Lack of Coordination
There is a lack of coordination between the local community and the educational institutions which leads to issues in promoting girl child education.
Lack of Resources
Even with the government’s provision of learning resources, it continues to be inadequate for quality education.
Lack of Motivation
Those who belong to a poor socioeconomic economic background may not consider education to be important. They motivate their girls to do household work and get married instead of becoming educated.
Ignorance by Parents
Despite the government’s efforts to offer free and compulsory education, many people living in remote areas still ignore sending their girl children to school.
The schemes introduced for promoting the welfare of the girl child have been highly beneficial and growth to improve the development of girls in the country.
