Schools need to become more receptive to girls

There has to be a proper mechanism to identify those at risk of dropping out

e are far from becoming an educated nation,” writes Madhav Chavan, CEO, Pratham, in his introductory piece in the 2018 Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), which was released in New Delhi last week. The reasons for such a distressing appraisal is available in the report. One out of every four Class 8 students in rural India is unable to read even a Class 2 text. And over one in two Class 8 students cannot solve a problem that involves basic division. By Class 8, the last year of compulsory schooling in India, all children are expected to have mastered foundational skills. In addition to poor learning outcomes, there is one more issue that must worry all of us: the education of girls, especially in the 15-16 age group. According to the report, in 2006, the all-india proportion of girls in the age group 11 to 14 who were out of school stood at 10.3%. In 2018, the overall proportion of girls in the 11 to 14 age group out of school has fallen to 4.1%. However, 10 years ago (2008), nationally, more than 20% of girls in the 15 to 16 age group were not enrolled in school. In 2018, it’s 13.5%.

While the decrease in the percentage of out-of-school girl children is a positive trend, experts say, proactive policies are required to ensure that the decrease is much faster. At the very basic level, schools need to become more receptive to girls and teachers must be sensitised to this gender gap. Additionally, the focus must be on having a mechanism to identify girls at risk of dropping out and bring back those who have quit school. There must also be a provision for special training and accelerated learning opportunities for out-of-school girl children, and mechanisms for dialogue with parents and community to ensure that girls stay in school.