Chapter 10 - Schooling of Girls-Inequalities and Resistances Issues of Access, Retention & Exclusion

Question- What type of gender-based discrimination is done directly or indirectly in the school?

Related Short Answer Questions

1. What is the arrangement of sports in schools keeping in mind?

2. What is the effect of the language of the teachers on the students and students?

Answer -

Various types of co-curricular activities are organized in the school for the personal development of the students, but in the school, it is completely gender related, where on the one hand girls have to participate in activities like art, singing, rangoli, decoration etc. is encouraged. Whereas boys are given priority in speech, debate, poetry-recitation.

The system of sports in school is also gender related. For boys, where running games like football, cricket etc. are available. For girls, there are arrangements for games like Carrom, Ludo, Rope Jumping, Kho-Kho, Kabaddi, Badminton etc. These games are played either sitting in one place or require very little space. Teachers are conscious that they should participate in the games which have been prescribed for boys and girls. They are outright denied if they demand sports contrary to their gender.

In the classroom, teachers pay more attention to boys than girls and the attention that female students receive is more negative than that of boys. Since maths and science subjects have the image of masculine subjects, teachers encourage boys to study these subjects. At the same time, less attention is paid to girls than boys. Behind this, this belief works that ‘what girls have to do by studying maths, they do not care about marketing or girls are weak in maths’. Teachers also believe in these beliefs. Teachers ask more challenging questions than boys in the class. There is not as much healthy interaction between a teacher and a student as with a student. This type of differential teacher interaction sends very different messages to boys and girls. These messages affect the students differently.

The division of works in schools is also done in such a way that their society does not have any special opposition to the division of accepted masculine and feminine functions. For example, girls are given the task of keeping the girls calm and under control, cleaning the classroom and blackboard and taking care of the register. At the same time, the task of keeping the whole class calm and under control, the work of bringing goods from outside, and the work of carrying furniture is entrusted to the boys. Girls are given such work so that the scope of responsibility is confined within the classroom and the school walls, while boys are given freedom to go out of school.

A person becomes what is expected of him in the future. What teachers expect from the students has a significant impact on the future aspirations of the students. Gender is an important dimension of what teachers expect from their students. Generally, teachers believe that the main aim of education is to prepare boys for public life. The boys have to work and become the provider of the family. Whereas for girls, the main role is that of mother and wife inside the house. At present, girls are also doing jobs, yet the above goals are considered less important for girls.

Gender inequality is also reflected in the language of teachers. If a boy cries in school, it is usually silenced by saying that boys are brave, they do not cry like girls. At the same time, a girl is told that 'You are very beautiful, do you want to spoil your face?' Since the interaction between boys and girls is not considered normal behaviour, teachers also try their best to maintain this separation and verbal remarks are also given by them for violating this norm and they indirectly constantly do this. And efforts are made that boys and girls should work according to their masculine qualities and roles.

Language not only makes us aware of reality. Rather, it also forms the perspective of seeing reality in us. Example should be given keeping in mind both gender and not only one gender should be given preference.

Ultimately, we can say that the school also seems to be doing the work of socialization of men and women according to the patriarchal system. It is playing an important role in creating the same patriarchal female and male image. Lack of commitment towards women empowerment and gender sensitivity is visible in the school environment.

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