Scribd
Upload
14 views2 pages

Psy 512 CH 25

Notes

Uploaded by

Maya Gee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
14 views2 pages

Psy 512 CH 25

Notes

Uploaded by

Maya Gee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

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 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.

You might also like