In this post we will be looking at the meaning Gender Bias in Education and its factors, factors of educational attainment and ways of checking gender bias in education.
WHAT IS GENDER BIAS IN EDUCATION?
Gender Bias in education as the name implies could be defined as a perception one holds for a certain gender to words education the people do it. Unconsciously or sometimes consciously.
INTRODUCTION
In educational institutions, gender bias has been experienced. Girls have been discriminated against in terms of various aspects as compared to their male counterparts. The primary aspect in terms of gender inequality has been experienced is in participation. The students are required to participate in number of areas in educational institutions. Girls were provided with less participation opportunities as compared to their male counterparts and hence, it led to prevalence of gender inequality.
In rural communities, this problem has been more severe as compared to urban communities. Gender inequality in education is regarded as the major impediment within the course of overall progression of the system of education. Therefore, it is vital to formulate measures and programs that are focused upon making provision of equal rights and opportunities to girls, not only within the course of acquisition of education, but also in the implementation of other job duties. The parents at home and teachers in school need to provide equal participation opportunities to girls.
FACTORS CAUSING GENDER INEQUALITY IN EDUCATION
There is existence of multiple and diverse connections between gender equality and fulfillment of the basic right to education. The women and girls are experiencing denial of human right to education not only in India, but in other countries of the world as well, the factors causing gender inequality in education have been stated as follows:
- Conditions of Poverty.
When individuals are residing in the conditions of poverty, then they experience number of problems and challenges in making ends meet. In some cases, they even experience problems in meeting their daily nutritional requirements. The individuals and families, who are residing in the conditions of poverty have the primary objective of generating sufficient income to sustain their living conditions satisfactorily. They usually do not possess financial resources to meet the expenses, involved in the pursuance of education. Even when education is provided free of cost, they still need to meet other expenses, involved in education. These are stationary items, books, bags, uniforms, transportation costs and so forth. The poverty stricken individuals experience problems in meeting these expenses.
The poverty-stricken individuals possess this viewpoint that acquisition of education is of utmost significance in sustaining one’s living conditions. Hence, they aspire to get their sons enrolled in schools. They possess this viewpoint that education should be provided to the sons, so they are able to get engaged in good employment opportunities in future. Whereas, girls are trained in terms of performance of household responsibilities and minor jobs to earn some income to support their families. For instance, when parents are engaged in production of items, then they encourage their children, both boys and girls to assist them in production and sales. The boys are required to get engaged in this job after school hours. The girls are usually discouraged from acquisition of education, due to limited financial resources. Their male siblings teach them, what they have learned in schools, primarily to enhance their basic literacy skills of reading, writing and numeracy.
- Prevalence of Traditional Viewpoints
The individuals and communities usually possessed traditional viewpoints regarding the education of girls. Particularly, when they possessed limited financial resources, then they believed that these resources should be saved for marriage of their girls and should not be spent on education. Another viewpoint was that in marital homes, girls would not be able to utilize their educational skills and would primarily have to implement the household responsibilities. Taking this aspect into consideration, from the initial stage, they train their girls regarding the implementation of household responsibilities.
In the past period, girls and women were merely confined within their homes and not allowed to participate in any social functions or events. They were not allowed to express their viewpoints and perspectives in the decision making matters. They primarily sustained their living conditions on the income earned by men and were meant to obey the decisions and rules formulated by them. Hence, due to the prevalence of traditional viewpoints, they were discriminated against and were deprived of certain rights and opportunities.
The acquisition of education of girls, is usually affected by traditional practices associated with adolescence. In some rural communities, prevalence of certain traditional practices proves to be hindrances within the course of acquisition of education on the part of the girls (Linda, 2014). Due to the prevalence of traditional viewpoints and perspectives, girls are not only deprived from acquisition of education, but also in attaining self-independence. In other words, these are barriers within the course of attainment of empowerment opportunities. Therefore, for bringing about empowerment opportunities among women and girls, it is necessary to bring about transformations in traditional viewpoints and give equal rights and opportunities to women and girls.
- School Infrastructure.
The school infrastructure is regarded as significant in the formation of suitable and amiable learning environment and in the pursuance of academic goals. With the availability of adequate infrastructural facilities, the members of the educational institutions are able to carry out their job duties in a well-organized manner. Furthermore, the students are also able to feel pleasurable within the school environment and get motivated towards their studies. Research has indicated that due to lack of appropriate infrastructural facilities, the students usually drop out, before their educational skills are honed. This applies particularly to the girls. The important infrastructural facilities in schools that are essential to enhance the system of education are, furniture, equipment, materials, technologies, restrooms, civic amenities, transportation facilities, playgrounds, classrooms, library facilities, laboratories and overall school environmental conditions.
When these infrastructural facilities will be well-maintained, then the educators, staff members and students will feel pleasurable and contented within the working environment. It is apparent that to facilitate learning, schools need to make provision of proper teaching-learning materials, library facilities, laboratories related to science subjects, and computer centers. When the educators as well as students will have access to these facilities, then they will be able to carry out the teaching-learning processes in a well-organized manner. In India, in urban areas, normally infrastructural facilities are well-developed. Whereas, in rural communities, these are not well-developed. Therefore, it is vital to formulate measures to bring about improvements in infrastructural facilities in rural schools. The provision of appropriate infrastructural facilities would lead to an increase in the enrolment of students and augment the retention rate.
- Discriminatory Treatment among Girls.
Research has indicated that among the deprived, marginalized and socio-economically backward sections of the society, the girls and women usually experience discriminatory treatment. The discriminatory treatment among girls is depicted in number of aspects. These are, acquisition of education, attainment of employment opportunities, empowerment opportunities, deprivation in right to property, deprivation from having a say in the decision making matters, deprivation from expressing their viewpoints and perspectives, discouraged from participation in social, economic, cultural and political activities, remaining confined within the households, implementing household chores and taking care of the needs and common explanations for this gender gap are poverty, geographic remoteness, violence, disabilities, lack of infrastructure, or belonging to a minority ethno-linguistic group.
FACTORS INFLUENCING EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
When the individuals pursue their educational goals, then they need to take into consideration certain factors. The major factors that influence the attainment of education have been stated as follows:
- Socio-Economic Factors.
The social factors are primarily related to the socio-economic background and social status of the individuals. Research has indicated that when individuals have their own family business, then they normally prefer that their children should attain the educational qualifications, so they can provide assistance and support to their parents in augmenting their family business. Whereas, in most cases, children are provided with rights and opportunities to make their own decisions regarding acquisition of education. When they score good grades in class twelve exams, then they aspire to pursue professional degrees, such as, law, medical or engineering and so forth. But when they belong to deprived, marginalized and socio-economically backward sections of the society, then they experience set-backs in getting enrolled in higher educational institutions.
The socio-economic background and the social status of the individuals is primarily characterized by occupations and financial status of the individuals. For example, when well-educated, qualified and skilled individuals are engaged in medical profession or are engineers or lawyers and are engaged in reputed employment opportunities, then they possess sufficient financial resources and may even get their children enrolled in higher educational institutions in international countries. On the other hand, when individuals are engaged in minority jobs and their income is not sufficient to provide higher education to their children, then they experience problems in acquisition of education. In some cases, poverty stricken, deprived and socio-economically backward sections of the society provide education to their sons and not girls. Hence, girls are required to experience deprivation from acquisition of education due to scarcity of financial resources.
- Materials and Resources Accessibility to earning
In order to acquire education and achieve educational goals and objectives, it is essential to access good quality learning materials and resources. Educational resources are the resources that enable the individuals to pursue their studies in an efficient and manageable manner. These need to be adequately available in educational institutions as well as homes. These are appropriate teaching-learning methods, teaching-learning materials, infrastructure, technology, books, reading materials, stationary items and assistance and support available from experts and professionals. When there are availability of financial resources within educational institutions, then they make provision of all kinds of facilities, materials, technologies, equipment and amenities that are necessary to help students in acquisition of education and achievement of academic goals. Due to the availability of adequate financial resources, parents also provide an amiable and suitable learning environment for their children within home. They ensure that their children have access to appropriate technologies, reading materials, private tuitions and other facilities that are needed to achieve desired educational outcomes.
The individuals, belonging to poverty stricken, deprived and marginalized sections of the society also aspire to give good quality education to their children. Within schools, they are able to receive support from the teachers in pursuing educational goals. But at home, in some cases, they are unable to make provision of technologies, materials, equipment and other resources that are necessary to enhance learning. In such cases, students are required to make visits to computer centers, obtain books from the libraries or help from their seniors. These students as well as their families experience problems and challenges within the course of acquisition of education. But they implement measures to access educational resources from other places, as they are indispensable in acquisition of education.
- Time Devoted towards Formal Learning Activities
Usually, students in schools as well as in higher educational institutions are engaged in other tasks and activities as well, apart from acquisition of education. The other activities that normally school students are engaged in include, extra-curricular and creative activities. These include, artworks, handicrafts, sports, physical activities, singing, music, dance and so forth. Apart from these activities, it is vital for them to devote adequate time towards their studies. When the individuals get enrolled in higher educational institutions, then they normally migrate to other regions, cities or even countries. When they are living away from homes, then they are required to take care of other tasks and activities as well. These include, household chores, employment opportunities, and other activities. When they are not financially strong, then they are required to work to meet their expenses. Research has indicated that individuals get engaged in either part-time or full-time jobs along with the pursuance of masters or doctoral programs.
When the individuals are engaged in other tasks and activities, along with their studies, then it is vital for them to put into practice proper time management skills. In the implementation of time management skills, one has to assign priorities to the tasks. The tasks, which are important, need to be given priority. When students give importance to their studies, they are able to enhance their academic problems. Studies and employment opportunities are important for the individuals. Therefore, in educational institutions as well as at home, they are instructed by their educators and parents to pay attention towards their career goals. On the other hand, socializing with friends and relatives, watching television shows, and getting engaged in other leisure and recreational activities are also important for the students, but they should first devote their time towards attainment of educational goals.
- Cultural Viewpoints regarding the Education of Girls.
The cultural viewpoints regarding the education of girls are embedded in the cultural norms and values. In some rural communities, when individuals do not possess adequate financial resources, which are necessary to meet the expenses that are involved in the pursuance of education, then they primarily form this viewpoint that providing education to the girls is the wastage of resources. Instead, they make use of resources in providing education to the boys. Other viewpoints that discourage girls from the acquisition of education are, they should be trained in terms of management of household responsibilities. These include, preparation of meals, cleaning, fetching water, taking care of the needs and requirements of younger siblings and elderly family members, especially when their parents are at work, taking care of livestock, assisting their parents in family business, which may include, production of food items, artworks, handicrafts, and so forth.
The cultural viewpoints focus upon the belief that when girls would acquire sufficient training regarding the implementation of household responsibilities, then they would be able to enhance the reputation of their families in marital homes. The other factors that promote negative attitudes regarding the education of girls are, making savings for dowry. Dowry is the wealth and possessions that the bride’s family has to pay to the groom’s family at the time of marriage. It includes, monetary resources, jewelry, and other items.
When the marginalized and deprived families have to make savings for the. marriage of their daughters, then they do not intend to spend financial resources towards pursuance of education. They possess the viewpoints that boys would acquire good employment opportunities and contribute effectively towards promoting well-being of their families and communities. But in the present existence, transformations are taking place and individuals, belonging to all categories and backgrounds are encouraging their girls towards acquisition of education.
WAYS OF CHECKING GENDER BIAS IN EDUCATION.
- the government and the public must do everything within their power to increase the number of girls in the school
- the content of primary and secondary school education must be reviewed so that girls are not made to specialize at every early stages as housewife this is a scientific age and there must be more opportunities for girl to know science in secondary school
- effort should be made to bridge the gap between educational opportunities for women and men this, can be achieved now by spending more money.
CONCLUSION
Gender discrimination is a problem that has eaten deep into the society. Women are seldom allowed to do their work; training opportunities are less open to women than to men. There is no contesting the fact that there is gender inequality and stereotyping that is skewed to the disadvantaged of the girl-child and women in our society. It is a problem that requires a proactive solution not only from parents, government, the educational system, Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) but all and sundry in the society. Gender discrimination exists in all facets of life. Women are discriminated against in education because it is believed by most illiterate parents that the female child can survive without formal education.
This is because she eventually gets married and the husband is expected to provide for her needs. The female sex also is seen in the society as a weaker sex and therefore women are pushed towards career that do not attract them. Women should be given the chances to prove their worth in the society. The customs and beliefs of the society which see female sex as a subordinate to the male sex are also a contributory factor to gender discrimination. Women who venture into professions like engineering, medicine, architecture and other science-inclined professions are looked upon in the society as being masculine, because such jobs are believed to be solely for the male sex. In a nation where female education is taken seriously, the returns on investment and the multiplier effects on the nation will be very high. Educate the women and you educate the nation.