The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Common schools will foster gender equality: U.R. Ananthamurthy

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Saturday, Mar 29, 2008
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Common schools will foster gender equality: U.R. Ananthamurthy

Special Correspondent

45-page report on ‘Girls’ Education’ released

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Opportunity for all: Writer U.R. Ananthamurthy (left) and S.L. Rao, Chairman Board of Governors, ISEC, at the release of the report in Bangalore on Friday.

Bangalore: Kannada writer U.R. Ananthamurthy has said the establishment of common schools for children of all income groups up to 10th standard in the society is the first imperative to tone up the education system. This would help achieve gender equality in the country. Equal access to education and quality education for all children were the prerequisites for achieving gender equality. He stressed that discrimination has prevailed because of the introduction of English medium education in cities and towns. Many government schools, particularly in Kerala, were closed, by opening of English medium schools, Prof. Ananthamurthy said.

He was speaking after releasing a 45-page report on “Girls’ Education: A Foundation for Development” brought out by the Commonwealth Foundation, London, at the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore. Recalling the ‘India Shining’ campaign launched by the Vajpayee Government in 2004, the Jnanpith winner said “the country is not shining for people residing in villages.

Commending the interest shown by women members in Panchayati Raj Institutions in execution of development works, the writer said only reservation of seats for women in Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies would address discrimination against women. Jyotsna Jha, adviser, Commonwealth Secretariat, said all developing countries have taken steps to achieve gender equality and empowerment of women by eliminating gender disparities in education by 2015. However, the UN Millennium Development Goal, to achieve the target by 2015 has remained unrealistic, she said.

The report on ‘Girls’ Education’deals with issues related to girls education in India, Pakistan, Cameroon, and Papua New Guinea.

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