Women Education in India & its Importance:

Swami Vivekananda has emphasized, “If you do not raise the women who are
living embodiments of the divine mother, don‟t think that you have any other way
to their social and economic status”

2. Gandhi has stated the importance of women education in these words, “I am

strongly of the opinion that women should have the same facilities as men even
special facilities where necessary”.

3. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has very rightly observed “Education of a boy is the
education of one person but education of girl is the education of the entire family”.

4. Dr. S.Radhakrishnan (University Education Commission 1948-1949) states,

“There cannot be educated people without educated women.”

5. Kothari Commission (1964-1966) has rightly remarked, „For full development

of human resource, the improvement of human beings and for moulding the
character of children during the most impressionable years of infancy, the
education of women is of great importance than that of men”.

6. The national policy on education 1986 states, “the education of women should
receive emphasis not only on grounds of social justice, but also because it
accelerates social transformation.

Need of Women Education: The need and importance of women‟s education in

India based on the views of the Indian educationist, philosophers and political b
leaders:

1.The cooperation of women is necessary for the progress and prosperity of the
country.

2. An educated woman produces an educated family and an educated society.

3. An educated woman makes the home happy and healthy.

4. An educated woman can mitigate the economic difficulties of the family.

5. An educated woman can help in removing social evils, and save the society from
old beliefs and customs which adversely affect the progress of society.
6. Swami Vivekananda says no expectation of the progress of a family or a country
can be achieved where women are not educated, and are leading a pitiable life. To
him, welfare of the country is not possible until the condition of women is
improved. Therefore their educational uplift is of utmost important.

Objectives of Women’s Education: The unit of National Council for Educational

Research and training (NCERT) for Women Education has formulated the
following objectives of women‟s education:

1. To promote the education and the development of girls.

2. To undertake and promote research in the area of girls education and

development.

3. To develop and apply concepts and methods of women studies.

4. To suitably intervene in the area of policy planning, curriculum, and teacher

education, for removing gender bias and disparities.

5. To act as a national resource centre on girls education and development.

6. To provide consultancy services in the areas of girls education and development.

Problems of Women’s Education:

1. Poverty: the poor economic condition of parents is the greatest obstacle in the
way of the development of women education in under developed countries like
India. Education has become a costly affair.

2. Illiteracy: this is an undeniable fact that most of the parents of our country are
illiterate and ignorant. Such parents do not know the need and importance of
education. Due to the illiteracy and ignorance of parents they failed to send their
daughter to educational institution.

3. Lack of lady teacher: there is shortage of qualified women teachers‟ absence

of lady teachers discourages girl‟s education.
4. Problem of wastage: we find a lot of wastage in the education of girl‟s .it
maybe owing to the negative attitude of parents toward s the education of girls or
capitation fee and increasing unemployment problem.

5. Unsuitable curriculum: unsuitable curriculum is one of the major problems for

girl‟s education and development in our country.

Functions of Women Education:

1. Awareness generation action

2. Re designing curriculum and educational programme

3. Orientation of curriculum and developers and text book writers.

4. In calculation of positive self image in the girl child

5. Promotion of research and innovative action projects.

6. Inputs into teacher education.

7. Data bank. 8. Interacting with the media.

Recommendation of Commissions and Committees on Women Education: Our

national and social leaders fell that no national development can take place without
women’s education. Therefore education of women has been regarded as a major
programme in India. In fact after the independence of our country the central
government, state government and non government institutions have talking all
efforts to encourage women‟s education. Preference has been given in the five year
plans of India for the expansion and development of women‟s education. In order
to minimize existing gap between the education of boy‟s and girl‟s and to expand
and developed the women‟s education, the govt. of India has appointed
commission and committees. Let us look at the recommendations put forth by
different education commission and committees.

University Education Commission (1948-1949): The University Education

Commission is popularly known as RadhaKrishnan Commission .This commission
is analyses the problems of women education at the college and university level
and the following recommendation.
Amenities of life:

The ordinary amenities of life should be provided for women colleges originally
planned for men but to which women are being admitted in increasing numbers. 2.

Educational opportunities: There should be no curtailment in educational

opportunities for but rather a substantial increase in them. 3. Educational guidance:
there should be an intelligent educational guidance by qualified men and women to
help women to get a clear view of their real educational interests and to provide
good education according to their needs and capacities.

4. Normal place in society: Women should be helped to find their normal place in
society both as citizen and women.

5. Cultural and social responsibility: Men should be encouraged to extend right

courtesy and social responsibility in mixed colleges.

6. Equality in co –educational institutions: In co educational institutions due

weight age should be given to women.

National Committee on Women’s Education (1958): Educational panel of the

Planning commission recommended on July 1957 that, “A suitable committed
should be appointed to go into the various aspects of the question relating to the
nature of education for girls at the elementary, secondary, and stages and to
examine where the present system was helping them to lead a hipper and useful
life”. The Govt. of India appointed the national committee on women‟s education
under the Chairmanship of Smt. Durgabai Deshmukh.The committee made the
following recommendations:

1. Universal enrollment: The attempt for expansion of girls‟ education should

aim at universal enrollment of girls in the age group 6-11 by 1979 and in the age
group 11-14 by 1981.

2. Improvement programme: The recommendations made by the CABE for the

improvement of women education should be implementing and for this purpose
cent per cent assistance should be provided.

The programmes include: (a) Construction of teacher quarters. (b) Provision of

school teachers.(c) Provision if allowance for the lady teachers working in the
villages (d) Provision of hostels (e) Provision of school uniforms.(f) Provision of
mid –day –meals. (g) Construction of sanitary blocks.

3. Facilities in isolated and back ward areas: The girl students of backward
hilly and isolated areas should be provided with facilities such as free transport and
free residential accommodation to encourage them to get education.

4. Publicity programme: Publicity programme should be launched to awaken the

people towards the need of women‟s education. For this purpose documentaries
and films concerning women‟s should be prepared and displayed.

5. Education for adult women: Central Social Welfare Board should start
condensed courses to give suitable education to adult women.

6. Scholarships: There should be provision for an adequate number of scholarship

to encourage the girls to continue their education.

7. Close up the gap: The gap between the men and the women should be filled as
per as possible.

8. Encouragement to co –education: Where it is difficult to start separate schools

for girls co education should be encouraged.

9. National council for women’s education: National Council for women‟s

Education should be set up for studying the needs and problems of women‟s
education at the national level.

10. State council for women’s education: At the state level state council for
women‟s education should be set up.

11. Women’s education in five year plan: Women‟s should get an important
place in five year plans and the planning commission should make estimation for
women‟s education requirements.

Suggestions of Durgabai Deshmukh Committee (1959):

1. The central and state governments should give priority to the education for girls.
2. In the central ministry of education,a department of women‟s education should
be created
3. For proper education of girls, a director of women‟s education should be
appointed in each state.

4. Co –education should be properly organized at the higher level of education.

5. In the first phase of development, provision of free education should be made

for girls up to class 8

6. Facilities in choice of optional subject should be made available for girls.

7. Education of girls should be given due encouragement in rural areas.

8. Programmes for development of adult women‟s education be properly initiated

and encouraged.

9. Girls should get training facilities on a liberal basis.

10. A large number of seats in various services should be reserved for them.

Recommendations of Hansa Mehta Committee (1962): National council of

women‟s education appointed Hansa Mehta Committee in 1962 to suggest
measures for the improvement of women‟s education. It made the following
recommendation.

1. Co-education should be adopted and encouraged at the primary stage.

2. Separate primary school or middle school for girls should be started where there
is such demand and where there is adequate enrolment.

3. Separate and co-educational institutions can be started at secondary school and

college stage. Parents should send their daughters to the institutions they like.

4. Girls should be encouraged to study Science and Mathematics at the higher

secondary stage.

. Number of women teachers should be increased in primary schools. Women‟s

teacher should also be appointed in all institution at the secondary and college
stages which are meant for boys but where girls are also admitted.

6. Home science is a useful subject for girls at the higher secondary levels.
7. Girls should be provided with necessary facilities such as scholarship, free
transport and stipend.

8. There should be a common curriculum for boys and girls at the primary and
middle stages.

9. Women should be given adequate representation in textbook committees.

10. There should be the provision of vocational schools and at the end of secondary
educations. So that girls are trained for different vocation.

Recommendations of Bhaktavatsalam Commission: (1963): The national

council for woman education endorsed the suggestion made by the union education
minister that a small committee should be appointed to look into the reason s for
the lack of public support,particularly in rural areas for women education. The
chair man of the National Council for Women‟s Education appointed a committee
in May 1963 under the Chairman ship of Shri M. Bhaktavatsalam, the Chief
Minister of Tamilnadu,to, to, suggest ways and means of achieving substantial
progress in the field. The committee submitted its report was published in 1965.
The following recommendation was made by the committee:

1. Fields of public co-operation: Direct public co-operation should be encouraged

in the such as (a) establishment of private school.(b)construction of school
building.(c)provision of text books written material to the needy
children.(d)organization of school betterment committees and improvement
conference.(e)provision of Mid-Day-Meal.

2. State’s responsibility: State should take up the responsibility of creating public

opinion in favors of women‟s education. For this purpose it may adopt: (a)
Seminars. (b) Radio talks. (c) School improvement. (d) Audio visual aids and
distribution of information pamphlets. (e) Organization of enrolment drives.

3. Provision of pre-primary school: It is essentional that pre primary schools

should be attached with primary schools, particularly in the rural areas. These
schools will help the children to get accustomed to schooling at the early stage.

4. Women teacher: More and more women teacher should be appointed in

primary schools. The number of female teachers should be more than that of meal
teachers. Such a provision will creates confidence in parents and they will fell
encouraged to send their girls to school.

5. Relaxation in age limit: Age limit for the married and unmarried women
teacher should be relaxed. This relaxation will help in attracting women to the
teaching profession.

6. Education for adult women: To educate adult women particularly in rural

areas, condensed courses should be organized.

7. Hostels facilities: Adequate hostels facilities are essential for the enrollment of
girls. So it should be one of the main objectives of the plan of states to provide
financial assistance for the construction of hostels.

8. Training facilities: More training should be given to women candidates to

meet the increasing demand for additional teachers.

9. Residence for women teachers: Women can be attracted to the teaching

profession by providing them with residential quarters near the school. So
teacher‟s quarter should be built to enable the teachers to leave near the school.

10. Adult education: While organizing progremmes for adult education every
effort should be made to liquidate illiteracy among rural women.

National Council For Women’s Education (1964): National Council for

Women‟s Education was set up in 1959 by the Central Ministry of Education. It
was reconstructed in 1964 and consisted of the Chairman the Secretary and 27
members .The main function of the council are: 1. To advise the government on
the education of the girls at school level and the education of adult women. 2. To
create awareness in the society with regard to the importance of women‟s
education. 3. To suggest the suitable measures for creating public opinion in favors
of girls and women‟s education. 4. To make periodic evaluation for the progress of
women‟s education. 5. To organized seminars, survey, and research works for the
improvement of girl‟s education in the country.
Khothari Commission on Women’s Education: Kothari Commission has given a
lot of importance to women‟s education. According to this commission women‟s
education is very important and helpful in reducing the birth rate. It has made the
following recommendation regarding women‟s education. 1. The gap between
men‟s education and women‟s education should be closed by considering
women‟s education as a major progremmes in education for some years. More
ever determined the bold effort should be made to face the difficulty involved in
the expansion of women‟s education 2. There should be a special administrative
machinery to look after the education of girls and women. 3. Special plan should
be prepared for this purpose and the funds required for them should be provided on
a priority basis. 4. Efforts should be made to accelerate the expansion of girls
education .All the secondary level the development of the education of girls should
be increased. The ratio of male and female education should come to 2:1 from 3:1
in 20 years.. Emphasis should be placed on establishing separate schools for girl‟s
provision of hostels and part time and vocational courses. 6. Research units should
be set up in one or two universities to deal specially with women‟s education.

Recommenndation of National Policy on Women’s Education (1986): National

Policy on Education plays a positive role in order to provide powers to the women.
In this regard its recommendations are as under: (a) Status of women: education
will be used as an agent of basic change in the status of women. (b) Promotion of
women studies: Various courses such as home science, music fine arts, tailoring
and embroidery cooking and needlework will be provided for the promotion of
women studies. (c) Improvement of women‟s education: there should be
improvement of women‟s education through redesigned curricula, text book
training and orientation of teacher s should decision making on administration. (d)
Provision of various courses: Various vocational and professional courses will be
provided for the promotion of women studies. (e) Removal of illiteracy: Highest
place would be given to eradicate women‟s illiteracy. The obstacle that comes in
the way of primary level of education be put to an end. Literacy rate in India;
1951-2011 Source – Cencus of India 2011 Women Education in India & its
Importance: An Analytical Study Suparna Karan Volume-IV, Issue-I July 2017
286 Crude Literacy rate in india by sex : 1901-2011 Source – Cencus of India
2011 Conclusion: After independence, the progress of women‟s education has
been satisfactory. The girls belonging to remote areas, rural areas and weaker
section of society are being encouraged to receive education .from the increasing
number of women‟s educational institutional and girls students from the primary
level to the university level, we come to know that India is marching forward
towards the progress of women„s education The women of today are very
conclusion of their social economic and intellectual, the mental and spiritual
development. Their role both within the home and outside the home has become an
important feature of the social and economic life of the country. It will become
more significant in the years to come. Therefore they cannot be deprived of
education at any cost and greater attention should be paid problems of training and
developed of women. It may be pointed out here that there cannot be educated men
without educated women. If a chance has to be made between education of men
and education of women in the case only women should be given opportunity to
receive education because in this way education is easily reach the next generation.
Hence the education of girls should be emphasized not only on grounds of social
justice but also because it accelerates economic and social transformation and
above all to achieve cent per cent literacy. According to the Country Report of the
Government of India, education of girls is the most powerful tool of change of
position in society. Education also brings a reduction in inequalities and functions
as a means of improving their status within the family. To encourage the education
of women at all levels and for dilution of gender bias in providing knowledge and
education, established schools, colleges and universities even exclusively for
women in the state. To bring more girls, especially from marginalized families of
BPL, in mainstream education, the government is providing a package of
concessions in the form of providing free books, uniform, boarding and lodging,
clothing for the hostilities mid-day meals, scholarships, free circles and so on.
Education for All (EFA) programme and other many educational programmes are
providing various facilities to enhance the education for women, so these
programmes are very helpful to improving the girl‟s education in India.