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The third wave of the Covid-19 focuses on the pandemic’s influence on children’s education, emphasizing how the Covid issue has disproportionately impacted girls, particularly their schooling.
During the winter session of Parliament in December, the women empowerment committee issued a report calling for immediate action to prevent girls from impoverished households from dropping out of school due to school closures and a lack of digital access.
In response to a specific question about the impact of the pandemic on the registration and retention of girls in school, especially among the many economically and socially disadvantaged groups, the education ministry told the panel that “school closure in India affected 320 million children enrolled from pre-primary to tertiary levels of education.” Around 158 million of these are female students, according to estimates.”
This is yet another example of the pandemic’s socially catastrophic consequences. Authorities must take appropriate measures to prevent girls from being pushed to drop out. It would be detrimental to the nation’s interests in the long run.
The report on ‘Empowerment of Women Through Education with Special Reference to Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao Scheme’ includes the submissions and suggestions. The chance of more adolescent girls dropping out of school permanently to help with home responsibilities and childcare in the post-pandemic scenario is also very high due to their families’ economic troubles.
The group recommends rewarding participation through initiatives such as targeted scholarships, conditional cash transfers, bicycles, smartphone access, and dormitory amenities to encourage more girls to continue their education and study.
According to the ‘unified district information system for education (UDISE)’ data for 2018-19, the gross enrolment ratio of girls decreased from 96.72 in elementary classes to 76.93 in secondary classes and 50.84 in higher secondary classes, as per the 31-panel led by BJP MP Heena Vijaykumar Gavit. It also said that the female dropout rate in 2019-20 was 15.1%.
Despite several attempts under RTE, Samagra Siksha, and other programs, enrolment and retention of females in rural schools remains a significant concern. In addition, girls face major obstacles due to a lack of digital access to learning, as they are from poor family backgrounds.
It is also urged that immediate and concerted efforts be made to mobilize the girls’ students to return to school and maintain their regular attendance.
The panel praised the center for taking the initiative in requesting that every state map ‘out of school’ children through household surveys and develop guidelines for reaching out to every girl kid to help her overcome her issues.