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It's better to educate girls PDF Print
Wednesday, 01 November 2006 05:30
An Indicus Analytics study using all-India data (NDSSPI 2004-05) revealed that the percentage increase in income with each successive level of education is much higher for females as compared to their male counterparts. It was also found that the returns on lower levels of education, especially till primary or middle level, are not very high. However, once a girl completes elementary schooling and enters higher levels, she has much more to lose by not continuing her education. According to the latest Census, India’s overall literacy rate was 65 per cent in 2001 with wide gender disparity between males and females. While three-quarters of males are literate, the literacy rate for females is just 53.7 per cent. Even though the gender gap in literacy has been declining over time, states like Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are still in a situation where female literacy is lower than that for males with differences ranging from 32 to 27 percentage points. On the other hand, states such as Kerala, Mizoram and Meghalaya have the minimum gender gap in literacy. However, it should be always kept in mind that Census literacy measures are based on the bare minimum abilities of reading and writing. Therefore it is highly arguable as to what percentage of people are actually literate enough to grab those employment opportunities that demand some basic educational attainments. There is no disputing the fact that there is a significant positive correlation between educational attainment and the income earned. Most of the top states in terms of per capita annual incomes such as Chandigarh, Punjab, Delhi and Kerala, are also among the top states in secondary school completion rate for females. Again, states with some of the lowest secondary school completion rates for girls such as Bihar, Meghalaya and West Bengal are also the states with low per capita incomes. An Indicus Analytics study using all-India data (NDSSPI 2004-05) revealed that the percentage increase in income with each successive level of education is much higher for females as compared to their male counterparts. It was also found that the returns on lower levels of education, especially till primary or middle level, are not very high. However, once a girl completes elementary schooling and enters higher levels, she has much more to lose by not continuing her education. Why are returns so much higher for females? One part of the answer lies in the lower “base” incomes for females. Even if incomes increase by the same rupee amount, the fact that the “base” is lower for females serves to increase the returns in percentage terms. But even though male illiterates are generally found to have higher wages/income than females, such high jumps in income earned by females compared to males as they go up the education ladder reveals a more compelling case for raising female educational levels. Another important part of the story is that greater education can help reduce gender bias at work, at home and in the society at large. It has been accepted universally that higher education attainment by females has many positive socio-economic implications. For instance, data from the Census suggests that the education till the secondary school level is one of the most potent instruments to bring down total fertility rates, especially, in areas where fertility rates are higher and the female literacy rates are lower. However, over and above these social and health implications, the attainment of higher education by females has another equally important role to play. Educating females beyond elementary schooling has the potential of increasing the per capita personal disposable income significantly, which will automatically have a direct impact in accelerating the growth in India’s national income. The author is assistant VP, Indicus Analytics
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