Let girls not lag behind boys in any field, writes Dr. Shabana.

Education is what survives after what has been learnt is forgotten (F B Skinnir)
The prosperity of a nation lies in the hands of educated women. Education is empowerment and empowerment means having developed the capacity to think, to question, to recreate, to solve problems, to analyze and to apply objective means of evaluation.
India after its independence has been showing increasing trend in providing higher education. Presently India serves higher education in the form of 214 universities of which 198 are state universities and 16 central. 38 institutions deemed to be universities, 11 institutes of national importance, 9703 colleges and 887 polytechnics also serve the purpose. This system employees 321000 teachers and caters to 6,75,5000 students. A census reports of 2004 shows that there has been increase in literacy in the country. The literacy rate in the country is 68.90 percent, (75.85) for males and (54.16) for females. Government encourages the education of women by declaring the equal rights of women, as population of men and women is nearly equal but the number of educated men is several times more than the number of educated women.
Our state has more than seven universities and 75 government degree colleges besides hundreds of private colleges. The state also shows the same trend i.e. valley girls lack in getting higher education because of the certain reason like:
Barriers: The factors or barriers that inhibit the valley women to pursue higher education are universal.

Lack of economic resource and the choice between dowry and educational expenses: There are many Kashmir families who are of the view that there is no need of providing higher education to girls, as ultimately they are to be married and have to go with their husbands to do domestic work. They prefer to pay dowry to education. Poverty is another reason which has been seen in the rural areas of the valley. The parents of such families are unable to bear expenses of education.
Lack of adequate facilities in Colleges: The girl students are facing lot of difficulties in colleges as the colleges lack adequate facilities like separate toilets, common rooms, hostels etc.
Lack of financial schemes: There are very less schemes which could attract the girl students. There are no scholarships.
Lack of vocational and job oriented courses: Our institutions are lacking in so many vocational and job oriented courses which in turn could attract the girls for getting the education in such colleges. Even valley girls are not able to express there choice for the subject taken during college days.
Parental Expectations: After getting higher education the girl parents expect a lot, while finding her match it becomes difficult to get a well-educated boy. This leads to another stigma i.e. late marriages. So many families don’t allow the girl to get higher education.

What can be done? A teacher can involve the girl student in different curricular activities, and can share common human ideas, exchange knowledge, encourage the girl in every aspect. Higher education police needs to be reviewed to ensure the quality education by way of giving priority to women education, providing adequate facilities in colleges for girls like Hostels, Common room, Toilets etc.    Admission policy in colleges and financial schemes needs to be revamped. Vocational and job oriented courses should be introduced in various degree colleges even short term diploma, certificate courses only for girls. Colleges and universities should hold seminars and organize awareness camps to build self-confidence and to provide the opportunities which a woman deserves. We must have more colleges and universities for women. That way we will be serving the cause of women education.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 8 Sep 2009 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 8 Sep 2009 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Sep 2009 00:00:00 IST