A few decades ago, the society, particularly in developing countries, did not see the need of educating the girl child. This is because she was expected to become a mother someday, which in itself is a very demanding task because she has to take care of the children and run a few errands on behalf of her husband.
In fact, most families did not send their daughters to school because they felt that it was not necessary. This suggests that education was reserved for boys. Essentially, Bowles and Gintis argue that in the US, women started working during the civil war because their men had been deployed to the battlefields (14).
There were many challenges that were facing the girl child with regard to education. First most girls could not go through the education system because some would get pregnant, which left them with no alternative, but to quit school. In addition, some girls would be married off at an early age, especially in developing countries.
Girls were therefore perceived to be weak even though their male counterparts were responsible for their suffering. This is because the boys who impregnated them were allowed to continue learning. Similarly, most communities do not send their daughters to school because they assume a vacuum will be created in their households.
However, according to Nussbaum, women were more enlightened towards the end of 19th century by the many non-governmental organizations that had been established to fight for the rights of the girl child (19). On the other hand, the education of the boy child has been ignored since everyone is concentrating on the girl child.
In general, there is still a gap to be filled, and this can only be achieved by giving both sexes equal opportunities. The opportunities of women are reserved as opposed to those of men. Most organizations are reserving a good number of their job openings for women and thus, men continue to suffer in silence because they are not supposed to show any signs of weakness.
Statistics from US learning institutions indicate that the rate of female enrollment is much higher than that of men. From early days, boys have been made to believe that they do not have to work hard or even go to school because they are their parent’s heirs.
Alternatively, Matus and Winchester point out that the aggressiveness of the girl child has made her to pursue further education because that is the surest way of liberating herself. Additionally, the global population of men is much lower than that of women, considering that they are the ones who are affected by child mortality.
Moreover, the cost of sending a child to school is still high, especially during these difficult economic times. In most developing countries, there are numerous non-governmental organizations striving to empower women. This is done by issuing monetary handouts to the girls’ parents; there is no one who is concerned about the welfare of the boy child.
This is unfair competition because the ground should be leveled for both sexes. The boy child is facing the same challenges that are being faced by the girl child. For instance, in early days, only women suffered from sexual abuse, but nowadays the boy child is being faced by the same challenge. The role of men in the society has changed from being the providers to caregivers. This has been brought about by depreciation of our values.
Gone are the days when women used to depend on men for their upkeep. This change of culture has been brought about by economic factors. In today’s world, a man’s salary is not enough to support a family, and that is why the two sexes need to be empowered equally. The solution to gender inequality should start right from the school. In most schools, there are more male teachers, and thus the female learners are not well represented. Furthermore, the female teachers concentrate more on the boys.
In this light, several approaches that can be employed to achieve gender equality in education. The learning curriculums should be revised to favor both sexes. Currently, there is a general perception that engineering and technical courses are not meant for girls. Comprehensive review of these courses will result in a balanced enrollment rate. Thus, no courses will be reserved for any sex, as long as one has the skills and the ability to deliver the desired results (Williams 1).
Learning institutions should hire more female educators to bridge the male-female gap. Female teachers will act as role models for the girls who have for a long time been demoralized. The balance should be realized right from the time teachers are being recruited into the training colleges.
This will ensure that the same balance is observed when the same educators are being deployed to their respective learning centers. The school infrastructures of most learning centers in developing countries are in a sorry state such that both sexes are not content. For instance, if the toilets do not have doors the girls would not feel comfortable while using them owing to their gender orientation. This suggests that more funding should be designated for improving the infrastructure of such centers.
Moreover, support programs should be offered to both sexes so that the boys are not under pressure to quit school. This means that there should be a gender balance in bursary allocations. Additionally, the teams that are in charge of education systems should be comprised of both men and women. This will make it possible for every group to safeguard its interests. Civil society groups should also be called upon to help in eliminating cultural issues.
Works Cited
Bowles, Samuel and Herbert Gintis. “Schooling in Capitalist America Revisited.” Sociology of Education 75.1 (2002): 1-18. Print.
Matus, Ron and Donna Winchester. ”Women Outpace Men in Education.” St Petersburg Times. 2008. Web.
Nussbaum, Martha C. Women and Human Development, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Print.
Williams, Alex. ”New Math on Campus.” New York Times. 2010. Web.