GENDER AND EDUCATION:Impact of Educational Deprivation

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Gender Issues In Psychology (PSY - 512)

Lesson 25

GENDER AND EDUCATION

Looking at the issue of gender and education, two aspects need to be discussed;

a. Educational Deprivation

b. The School Experience

Education is one of the most basic rights of all children .......both male and female. Education brings

enlightenment, and empowerment. For the children who are deprived of this right, all paths, leading to

progress, prosperity, and a better life, are blocked. In case of the female child the impact is even more serious

and long-term. Educated mother not only brings up their children in a better manner, but also actually

contribute a lot to the survival of their children. Research data reveal that children of educated mothers are

better than the children of uneducated mothers in terms of their health and education. Educated mothers are

better aware of disease prevention, the significance of proper nutrition, importance of medical consultation,

children's development/ growth pattern, and healthy lifestyles, as compared to uneducated mothers. In terms

of personal well being, education leads to social and economic empowerment of women.

BUT how many females, all over the world, have this right? Large proportion of women are either denied this

right, or do not have access to education. Women in some parts of the world are more privileged than those

belonging to some other regions. Out of the 875 million illiterate adults in the world, two third are females.

Majority of the 121 million children of the world, who are not in schools, are girls. In 2002, 24 million girls

were not going to school in Sub Saharan Africa. Such Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific are

the regions where 83% of all girls out of school, belong to these regions (Verma, 2006).

Impact of Educational Deprivation

Denial of the right to education, or inaccessibility of educational facility has deep rooted personal and social

consequences. For the person, the female, it implies that a number of doorways to social and economic

empowerment will be blocked. The health status of educated women is better than that of the uneducated;

educated women adopt more and better disease prevention strategies. They are better aware of and adopt

precautions against, reproductive and childbirth complications. They can protect themselves against abuse and

violence. Educated women are economically more empowered than uneducated women.

They are more aware of their legal and political rights.

Psychologically speaking, education enlightens women and gives a sense of self fulfillment and self-esteem.

Therefore if the girl child and women are deprived of education, the chances of her utilizing her optimal

potential are very bleak.

Barriers to Women Education

Cultural Practices

Many societies and cultures do not encourage their females to leave, home boundaries. The girls are involved in

domestic chores from the very beginning. It is felt that education is only required when someone has to work

out side home; and girls do not have to do that, since husbands will take care of their life.

Early Marriages

More girls remain uneducated in cultures where early marriages are practiced.

Lack of educational facilities

If schools and educational institutions are not available or accessible, then even the willing and interested

parents cannot send their daughter to school.

The School Experience and Gender

Most schools operate in a manner that promotes and strengthens gender stereotypes. This happen both in

unisex as well as co-educational institutions. In `girls only' school girls are taught traditional female roles and

values; girls from such schools, when enter coeducational institutions for higher education, have some

difficulties or psychological problems. They were always treated as an entity separate from men and were told

Gender Issues In Psychology (PSY - 512)

to protect themselves against men; and now they have to mingle with them. Teachers, research shows, treat

male and female children differently. Teachers promote stereotypical gender roles (Garrahy, 2001).

Even very young children indulge into gender segregation; the teacher generally permissive about it and in fact

many encourage this practice (Thorne, 1993). One problem that may arise for many boys is that most junior

school teachers are females, who may not be good or appropriate role models for growing boys.

Even when some male teachers teach in junior schools they are not the right role models; for most male

teachers junior school teaching is not their main ambition, passion or the career path they would like to stick

to. Usually the brighter male lot goes for higher education and professional qualification in order to join more

paying careers. For girls usually better role models are available in school. Elementary school teachers, whether

male or female, encourage compliance and reward children for being compliant (Cohen, 1992).When male

teachers are teaching, there is less gender stereotyping. When students taught by male teachers are compared

with those taught by female teachers, it is seen that the former make significantly less stereotypical explanations

of the behaviors of men and women (Mancus, 1992).in initial years at school some, not many, gender

differences are found in the achievement of children, in which girls have an edge (Bae, Choy, Geddes, Sable,

and Snyder, 2008).Girls' grades are better and they score higher than boys in reading and writing. Besides

gender factors like mothers' occupation and fathers' education have been found to be important in this regard.

Regarding referral for special education services, the likelihood is higher for boys to receive such referrals;

some studies suggest that this is a result of gender bias (Wehmeyer, 2001).

Some other differences emerge in middle school but this time more in favor of boys. In the earlier years

difference in achievement were found on the basis of ability but now it is with reference to children's attitudes

and interests. Girls usually do not opt for physical sciences as the major area of their interest. In middle school

boys are more interested in taking part in science-related tasks and activities; they are more likely to use

scientific equipment. Girls do show interest in participating in these activities, but are les likely than boys to

actually do so. This is one of the reasons why girls have little interest and lower achievement in physical science

(Lee and Burkam, 1996).Although girls still get comparable or better grades than boys in mathematics, they are

less interested in math; considering their field of study, girls find math to be less interesting (Davis-Kean,

Eccles, and Linver, 2002). Math is stereotypically perceived as a male domain, and that can be one of the

reasons girls start losing interest in math. Boys, girls, parents, and teachers all hold to this belief about math

(Nosek, Benaji, and Greenwald. 2002; Tiedenann, 2000).

However girls' interests in science and maths is lowered, but not there grades. During these years and then into

higher classes, gender segregation begins, and activities, occupation and interests re seen to be separate for men

and women. Sexual harassment, harassment otherwise, bullying and child abuse are problems faced by many

children at school, both male and female; however the rate is higher for female students who go non-traditional

vocational training institution.

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