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Udi Bai, a 35–year-old
resident of Biliya village in Chittorgarh district was excited to appear in her
class X examination. She had dropped out of school 23 years ago when she got
married. She has two children. Her family is engaged in agriculture.
Mamta Solanki (24)
and Solanki’s widowed mother Meena Kanwar (43), are residents of Kishanganj
village in Baran district. They have enrolled themselves for class X exam under
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
Udi Bai and
Solanki are among hundreds of women who had dropped out of school due to their
circumstances. Now they have enrolled in an education program so that they can
complete their matriculation studies and examination.
Female literacy
India ranks 105th
amongst 128 countries in education. Despite the growth in literacy rates – 64%
in 2001 to 74.04 % in 2011 as per Census 2011, women lag behind in most
indicators of education and employment across the country.
As per Census
2011, Rajasthan had a literacy rate of 66.11%. At 52.12%, Rajasthan’s female
literacy rate is the lowest in the country. Rajasthan’s sex ratio is also skewed.
Rural literacy rate of Rajasthan as per Census
2011 was 61.44%. The literacy rate of urban males was 87.91 % and that of urban
females was 70.73%. The literacy rate of rural males was 76.16% and that of
rural females was 45.8%.
School dropouts
As per a latest
base line study done in Baran, Chittorgarh and Jaisalmer districts under Second
Chance education program supported by UN WOMEN, 7.06% girls drop out at primary
school level, 5.17% at upper primary and 15.25 % girls drop out during higher
education.
Lack of access
to schools, poverty, parents’ illiteracy, early marriage and household
responsibilities are some of the reasons that force young girls to drop out.
Dropout rates among students belonging to SC/ST communities in all program
districts is high.
Rural communities in Rajasthan still
believe that girls should get married when they are in their late teens. As per
Census 2011, in Rajasthan, 4% girls are married at the age of 10 years, 20%
between 10 and 15 years of age and 63% when they are between 16 and 18, which
is very high in comparison to national average.
Back to school
Meena Kanwar, a
widow with two children, works as cook at a mid-day meal center, earning Rs
2,000 per month. Meena could not continue her education beyond class VII. Now Kanwar
and her daughter Mamta Solanki have enrolled as students, unmindful of
villagers ridiculing them.
Pramila
Karmakar (24), who had dropped out of school when she was in class V, has
enrolled in class X now. She works as a maid for a salary of Rs 5,000 a month,
and takes care of her widowed mother.
Similar to
Kanwar, Solanki and Karmakar, over a period of seven months, 919 young women
and girls have enrolled for continuing their education. Of those who have
enrolled, women belonging to Other Backward Castes and Scheduled Caste category
form the majority.
The gap in
education discontinuity varies from two years to 23 years. As per enrollment
data at Manjari Foundation, an implementation partner and NIOS registration
data, those who resume after a gap of 3 to 5 years make up the most, at 28.51%.
Second chance
Women’s enrollment started with the beginning of
Second Chance Education and Vocational Learning Program (SCE) which aims to
empower and reintegrate dropout young girls and women in the education system.
THE SCE project is being implemented in select areas of
four states, namely, Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan. United Nation
Women (India) is the funding partner for the SCE program. NGO partners are
implementing it.
As per the project work plan enrolment of women through
NIOS and other available avenues is the starting point, so that the women can
access higher education. Identification of open education platform, online
courses, remedial classes based on need, etc. are the follow-up activities.
Motivation
When she received
the study kit after enrollment, Pramila Karmakar became emotional. She said
that motivation to study towards a better future drives her. She is optimistic
that she will succeed. 16-year-old Muskan has also enrolled, after seeing her
friends do.
As data shows,
women are eager to continue their education. But there is need for more
affirmative actions from the government and other stakeholders. Compromised
teaching quality, limited access to high schools and colleges, early marriage
and affordability need to be addressed. Fixing suitable timing, and removing
financial barriers would also help the women.
Women and girls
who had dropped out of school were mobilized through awareness campaigns and
meetings with parents. They were keen to continue their education and wanted to
be identified as matriculates.
The women
believe that they would be able to learn new skills. The women said that they
would be able to be a part of decision making at home as well as in the
community, once educated. They said they could take up jobs. They believe that
education would make them confident and courageous.
Naresh Nain is
the program director at Manjari Foundation, and based at Udaipur. He has been
practicing in the development sector, after completing development studies in
Wageningen University, Netherlands. Views are personal.
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