Don’t put girls’ academic dreams on back-burner

Eknath Shinde. File pic

The increasing success rate of girls in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination is a reflection of a positive change in society, said Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in his congratulatory message to students who cleared the exam.

Reports stated that Shinde added that through education, girls are becoming self-reliant and this achievement is a testament to their hard work and the support of their families.

Girls outshone boys, posting an overall pass percentage of 96.14 against the 92.31 per cent of boys clearing the exam, according to officials.

This must encourage families to stand rock solid behind their girls, encouraging academic excellence and applauding their achievements.

This is not about boys v girls; it is about gender equality. Though our results in recent years have shown that girls are huge achievers in examinations, in several families even now, a girl's academic dreams are still put on the back-burner for some reason or the other.

While families may claim they are proud of their girls' results, there is pressure to stop studying. Or, it is about letting their brothers get the academic opportunities while the sisters are to be content with a certain grade. In lesser served communities, even now, girls are made to sacrifice academically and look after younger siblings. In some cases, they have to do a disproportionate amount of work, including household chores, while studying.

One would be churlish to suggest that this is happening across the board, but regressive attitudes still prevail in certain pockets. Change is seen through results and this should spur those who scuttle their girls' intellectual/academic ambition. Congratulations to all and best of luck in the classroom and the bigger exam of life.