LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 12 : 11 November 2012
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Economics of Gender Disparity in Education in Tamil Nadu

K. Thamayanthi, Ph.D. Scholar and
T. S. Kalyani, Ph.D.

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the literacy performance of people in Tamil Nadu. The literacy rate of Tamil Nadu was almost comparable to the All India position in 1941; the state has inched ahead of All India in the decades following independence. The results of the 2001 census show that Tamil Nadu has attained third position behind Kerala and Maharashtra among major states, both in terms of overall and female literacy. While the literacy rate has gone up from 62.7 percent in 1991 to 73.47 percent in 2001, the male literacy rate has increased from 73.75 to 82.33 percent. What is encouraging is that the female literacy rate has gone up by more than 13 percentage points from 51.33 per cent in 1991 to 64.55 per cent in 2001. The ratio of male literacy to female literacy has come down from 1.4 in 1991 to 1.27 in 2001, revealing the narrowing of gender inequality in the state.

The state average female literacy rate is 55.84% which is less than rural literacy rate of 66.66%. 8 districts excel the state average literacy rate by more than 6%. Kanniyakumari and Thoothukkudi districts literacy rates are 15% higher than state average rate of 55.84%. In urban female literacy, Kanniyakumari district is ranked first with 86.06% literacy rate. Next to Kanniyakumari, Tiruchirapalli district is ranked second according to the literacy rate (84.65%). The literacy rates vary between 17.53% and 86.06%. Ariyalur district ranks last in urban female literacy rate. Only 5 districts are having literacy by more than 80%. 19 districts have literacy rates more than 70% but less than 80%. All the other districts except Ariyalur have literacy between 60% and 69%. Narrowing the gender gap in education in primary and secondary at the high school and higher secondary levels calls for a multi pronged strategy that includes (a) educating parents about the economic and social benefits of girls, education. (b) lowering the opportunity cost of girls, education. (c) free education, (d) providing scholarships to girls to encourage them to continue in secondary school. (e) eliminating the requirement of school uniforms, (f) providing day care facilities to look after the young ones (g) involving the community in planning and development of education, (b) making the curriculum more gender sensitive and (i) recruiting more female teachers. Ultimately teachers should be trained to create an enabling environment whereby parents feel comfortable sending their girl children to school.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

K. Thamayanthi, Ph.D. Research Scholar
Department of Economics
Annamalai University
Annamalai Nagar 608 002
Tamilnadu
India

T. S. Kalyani, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Economics, DDE
Annamalai University
Annamalai Nagar 608 002
Tamilnadu
India
tskalyani2010@gmail.com

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