Question

Messageful speech of women education

Answer 1

Women are human beings and have as much right to full development as men have. The position of women in any society is a true index of its cultural and spiritual level”-Dr. Radhakrishnan.

The destiny of a nation is moulded and fashioned through its education and in this, the education of women has a strategic importance. The significance of the education of women cannot be over-emphasized. Women education in our country passed through several stages of development. In ancient India, both men and women had an access to education. In the vedic age equality was given to the women. They enjoyed special opportunity and freedom. Both boys and girls received education in Ashrams and Gurukuls. But in later times education of women was given low priority and the introduction of early marriage acted as grievous pitfall on the way of education.

Gradually their privileges were curtailed and society tended to be a patriarchal one and education remained in the hands of religious people, who did not allow co­education. During the days of the Muslims the women rotted behind the purdah and were not allowed to mix with men. Further their condition deteriorated by the observance of the institution of ‘Purdah’. Due to their economic dependence on men they came to be regarded as the bond slave to men.

The Company’s Rule, hardly made any provision for state owned girls’ school. Then it was purely a concern of the Mission arise. But they could not wither the storm of opposition both social and religious. A number of private schools were conducted by British officials and non-officials on their own. The solitary institution named after its founder Bethune, gave an impetus to the growth of similar private institutions all over India, for progress of girls’ education. Mr. J.E.D. Bethune was the then legal member of the Supreme Council and his interest in female education was genuine