Chapter V Addressing Gender Concerns

5.0 Education of Girls
The goals of SSA, NPEGEL and DPEP include a specific focus on reduction of gender disparities in education, as reflected in lower enrolment, retention and achievement of girls, particularly those from socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Gujarat has adopted specific strategies to enhance girls’ access, enrolment and retention in schools. Gender sensitive curricula and textbooks have been developed. All the new school buildings have been provided with separate toilets for girls. Early Child Care Centres (ECCE - AS Centres) have been opened to support girls attendance in school.

State Resource Group & District Resource Group have been entrusted with the responsibility of designing gender education strategies taking into account the local specific needs. Gender awareness materials such as posters, handbooks and brochures have been developed. Gender Training Modules for teachers, Master Trainers and BRC and CRC functionaries have been developed.

The programme recognizes the crucial importance of enabling communities, particularly women, to play a crucial role in every aspect of the programme. In this direction, village level local bodies such as VECs, MTAs & PTAs have been empowered to take the responsibility of promoting education of girls in their areas. Intensive capacity building of community, viz., women groups, Mahila Sarpanches and Panchayat Members have been carried out with a focus on education of girls. Besides, communities and women organizations were involved in mobilization and school management and in monitoring enrolment and retention and levels of achievement with emphasis on girls. 

5.1 Reducing Gender disparities in Primary Education
In Gujarat, it is felt that real empowerment of women is possible only through education. Mothers will have to be educated first and made aware of the importance of educating their daughters. In line with the basic emphasis on reduction of existing gender and social disparities in educational access, GCPE is trying out diverse interventions to promote girls’ education under SSA, NPEGEL and DPEP. Persistent efforts have been made to motivate the people, in general, and women in particular, to send their children to school. This refers to demand generation for primary education. The strategy is to change the attitude of the village communities, especially of the women, towards the school resulting in stronger community-school linkages.

Blocks and Clusters with low girls literacy rate have been chosen for awareness campaigns. Mahila Jagruti Sammellans were organised in all districts. Rallies, Prabhat Pheries, Tamasha parties have been used for mobilization as well.

For self-awareness of MTA members and women groups and sensitizing them about their role in girls’ education, a handbook and posters in Gujarati have been developed and distributed in all the schools of Gujarat. The handbook for training of MTA members carries some special features, viz., the information regarding specific schemes to encourage girls education (ECE-AS), guidelines for formation of MTA, MTA meeting schedule and agenda of meeting, role and function of MTA, training schedules of MTA and list of activities for gender sensitization.

A training module in Gujarati for teachers on providing equal opportunities in Classroom Culture and Processes has been developed and will be distributed in schools of project districts.

5.2 National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL)
The National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) is launched in Gujarat to strengthen the component of Gender Education under SSA.

As per the NPEGEL norms, the programme is being implemented in 1,093 Clusters in 78 Blocks and 39 Clusters in 13 Urban slums which are educationally backward and have lower female literacy rate and a higher gender gap in literacy rate than the national average, in 21 districts (excluding Porbandar,Valsad, Dang and Bharuch) in Gujarat. 

Under the programme, one school in each block is being developed as a Model Cluster School, which will act as focal point for interventions around which all activities will take place. They are being provided with additional incentives such as awards to schools/ teachers, grants for Teaching Learning Equipment & Material, sanitation facilities, electrification and drinking water supplies, along with training support and sensitization programmes for teachers and local community members. 

During the year, a total of 458 model cluster schools have been constructed with additional classroom, drinking water facilities and toilets. Girls studying in Std. I - VII in model cluster schools have been provided with locally purchased TLM / educational equipment / objects @ Rs.150/- per girl. Also, a minimum of 20 teachers per cluster are being trained on tackling gender issues under NPEGEL. 

A 3-day training on Gender Sensitization was given to 20 teachers from each CRC of selected 78 EBBs and 13 Urban Slums under NPEGEL.

5.3 Early Child Care Education (ECCE) Centers
For providing linkages between primary and pre-primary education, ECCE centers are being opened in unserved habitations. By March 31, 2005, a total of 5,352 ECCE centers have been opened by Gujarat Council of Primary Education under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, NPEGEL and DPEP. District-wise details of ECCE centers opened under various schemes are as shown below:

5.4 Maa-Beti Sammellan
Under SSA, NPEGEL and DPEP, Maa-Beti Sammellans are organised in villages with low-female literacy rate with a view to improve the same. During 2004-05, about 1000 Maa-Beti Sammellans were organised at village level during which members of VECs, MTAs & PTAs were sensitized on Gender issues and how to tackle them. For removing the Gender bias, educational entertainment programmes such as, Bhavai, Dayaro and Tamasha were widely used in rural areas in Gujarat.

5.5 Celebration of International Women’s Day
Under SSA, NPEGEL & DPEP, various programmes were organised for celebration of International Women's Day on 8th March, 2005, at state, district, block and cluster levels. Ralies, processions, various competitions, exhibitions and cultural programmes were organised for promotion of girls education all over the state.

5.6 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidhyalaya (KGBV)
Under Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) scheme, residential schools (Std. 5-7) are being opened, with boarding facilities for girls belonging to SC/ST/ OBC/ Minority and Below Poverty Line in difficult areas. Government of India has sanctioned opening of 30 KGBVs in 18 districts of Gujarat. Of these, 18 are Type A schools (for100 girls) and 12 are Type B schools (for 50 girls).

Parents of the out-of-school girls identified for coverage were contacted and convinced to enroll their daughters in KGBV. Meetings of MTA & PTAs were held to create awareness about and community support for the scheme. District, block, cluster and village level committees were formed to eliminate gender bias and develop life-skills of girls and provide them with quality education.

Land acquisition process for school is in progress and designs for the building have been developed by the civil wing at SPO. Bedding and other materials have been provided to all KGBV Schools.

ALS centers are operational from February 2005 and training has been imparted to Balmitras at district level to create Girl friendly environment in the classroom. 

5.7 Major Interventions Undertaken for Gender Education
During the year, the following major interventions were undertaken in Gujarat for promotion of Girls Education:

• Six-Month Residential Course: 12 centers have been opened for female pupils belonging to migratory families from Nov’04 to April’05 in Bhavnagar, Dahod, Panchmahal, Surat and Sabarkantha.

• Three-month remedial teaching provided to female pupils from villages with lower female literacy ( between 0-35%) under NPEGEL , SSA and DPEP.

• 1923 Balsakhis got training under Alternative Schooling.

• 10240 teachers given training on Gender perspective to enhance school effectiveness for Girls.

• Workshops were organized for teachers, BRCs and CRCs on the Use of Puppets for Teaching & Awareness with resource support of Darpan Academy, Ahmedabad, at State, District, Block & Cluster levels. A total of 2300 Teachers, 78 BRCs and 1132 CRCs were trained. Puppets are to be used at all 1132 NPEGEL clusters, as an educational tool for teaching of the Hard Spots in primary education.

• Puppet show organized at different level on 8th March-05

• Developed and distributed Module on Puppet-Making & Handling.

• Majority of girls in Std. 6 & 7 have been taught cycling, as a part of developing life skills, under NPEGEL and SSA.

• Cluster level cycling competition held in December’04 and January’05.

• Distributed Module on Health, Hygiene & Sanitation to all Schools.

• To create awareness on Gender sensitized environment in the classroom, the Module Bal Killol was developed and distributed in primary school.

• Organized Painting Competitions for 15,000 teachers and students.