Sairam friends,
Women’s Education in India is good enough. It seems all our girls are going to school, college with a promise of bright career. But we don’t have time too see the situation of few girls are forced to stop their education early due to various reasons.
Some girls quit schooling as the boys tease them on the way
Some girls quit schooling as they have to take responsibility of family and go for work
and Few quit schooling because of irresponsible teachers and school staff.
The below article in Guardian shows that some schools doesn’t even have clean water to drink.
Why girls in India are still missing out on the education they need – Rachel Williams
Though I wrote this article to inspire parents to do all they can to provide good education to their daughters,it also has the same message for their Son. There are students who start to hate education due to various reasons. We have to encourage and inspire these students to continue their education.
Its a universal message though I write for India. Even in United States, many Children stop their schooling abruptly with no one to show them the right path. Many NGO’s are helping children to continue their education but unless these people realize the Value of Education and how it can help them shape their future, what can be done?
Women’s Education in India
India being a highly populated country, we never know what’s happening in the villages. A year back when we went to my Mom’s village for a wedding, She told me that now a days even in villages they don’t have the “Life of a village” as it was few decades back. Most Village people have access to satellite channels and Mobile Phones. People in Villages know as many things as the people in Urban India does. Just that these people cannot afford few things.
A student might be smart and willing to learn but might have basic problem to travel to school or might not be able to afford education etc. Especially girls in villages are given responsibilities to take care of their family and do domestic work apart from their studies. Gradually, some families feel why to educate a girl and ask her to stop going to school.
When it comes to boys, I believe there are good opportunities as there are government schools to provide affordable education. One of the government school a mile from my house seems face very bad behavior from Boys and even the teachers are not able to tolerate them. These boys are hooked to what they see in Cinema, internet and really loose their future in the end. I am not blaming all the students but I honestly feel even the basic respect to Teacher as Guru is lost in our children’s mind be it school or college.
You can have fun, enjoy your time in school and college but remember what you do here reflects all through your life.
Urban India has some of the best schools and Educational institutes in India and every girl who really is interested in learning has various opportunities to continue their education. Education is getting expensive in India as it is in U.S and every parent wishes their son and daughter gets the best schooling and higher education.
Irrespective of all this, I do at times get mails from Students that they feel some peer pressure and are not able to score high as they expect.
Coming back to Women’s education in rural India and in some Indian states like Rajasthan, its not really a good news.
Rajasthan is undoubtedly one of the beautiful states in our country. I love the colors and also the contribution it has done to Indian Tourism.But when it comes to Education, its only improving in recent years.
According to 2011 census, Male Literacy late in Rajasthan is around 80% and Female literacy rate is 48% which means one out of two women in Rajasthan doesn’t have access to good education or not encouraged to learn.
In a state with approximate population of 6.8 Crore, only 3.8 crore are literate of which Female literates constitutes of approximately 1.4 Crores.
My Statistics may not make sense after few years. So my goal is to spread the Value of Education. I hope we do little we can to help children and parents learn how important it continue education. You don’t have to force it in you but make sure you keep reading and improving your knowledge.
The True Sign of Education
A big Job. A Big deal for a start up and even making Millions of dollars is not the true sign of one’s education. Education which doesn’t make you a good person with good character is of no use. I think this is what is happening to India at present. Our men and women are highly educated but they are carried away by their success in life.
Some children don’t even care for their parents and some don’t mind involving in bad habits and call it their life style. You really will get into problems if you are too egoistic about your success in life.
It is not enough if we are educated. People must cultivate good nature,love and respect one another which is the true sign of education.
Now what inspired me to write this article? I was looking at the Visa debit Ad film based on a Women’s education in desert villages of Rajasthan and really admired the Cinematography, Music and the way it is presented. I shall present it to you now. Ad film is Directed by Amit Sharma. The lyrics is so beautiful written by Gulzar Sahab.
The concept is the Officer who visits the village school realizes no women turns to school as they are involved in domestic work at home like fetching water. She decides to make a change and helps the women in Village learn to read and write by making them come to school and stitch the Hindi Alphabets in their cloth.
We must appreciate creativity and I really find the concept mean something valuable too.
“Education must be simplified and enjoyable so that Students get inspired and continue to learn all their life”
Here is the transcription from the Ad film…
Madam, The women are going to fetch water
( She reaches girls school in the village of Rajasthan)
School? Where are the women?
Didn’t I tell you. If they do homework of school who will do the homework given in house.
No time, madam!
They have to walk far to fetch water
(She orders Sewing machine using Visa so that she can teach the women to learn stitching and also the alphabets)
Madam, What are you doing?
With Visa Debit, you can get access to things far away.
The lyrics goes as below…
Come my friends
If we learn to read and write, The empty well of our mind will fill with the water of knowledge
A, Aa E, EE……….
Hindi alphabet stitched on women’s clothes
So what if women can’t go to school? The school can come to the women.
That’s it. Now I have captured images from the Ad film with a quote below every image about Value of Education and Women. Hope you like it. Images courtesy of Visa and Chrome Pictures
Let the empty well of our mind be filled with the water of knowledge
“You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.”
― Brigham Young
He who opens a school door, closes a prison
When the girl gets upset that no women turns up to the school in the village, She thinks if she can do something creative to bring light in the life of these girls. “Water” or “Education”?
“The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create.”
–President Barack Obama
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
“The arts are an essential element of education, just like reading, writing, and arithmetic…music, dance, painting, and theater are all keys that unlock profound human understanding and accomplishment.”
–William Bennett, Former US Secretary of Education
“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ”
― Thomas Fuller
A good education is another name for happiness” –Ann Plato
The Sewing machines which was ordered reaches the school. They have convinced the village women to
turn to school and learn to stitch cloths and make embroidery of Hindi Alphabets on the cloths. The women now turns to school as they both learn the Art of stitching and also to read and write in a creative way.
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
–Albert Einstein
Come, The school is open to fill the empty well of your mind with water of knowledge.
I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.
Lily Tomlin
“A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank…but the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child.” — Forest Witcraft
“It is not what is poured into a student that counts but what is planted.” -Linda Conway
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
Mahatma Gandhi
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”
― Benjamin Franklin
Girls learned to Stitch Hindi Alphabets in their colorful dress.
Now, have a look at the Visa Ad film – I posted images along with quotes as I want you to feel inspired !
I truly love the song and also visuals !
This article might be read even after 10 years or 100 years at which time I believe every child in every city and village of India has access to Good Education.
Being educated doesn’t change our men and women much. We are still living in our own ego being proud of religion, caste, creed and status. Education must open our hearts and ability to accept people for what they are beyond their ethnicity,religion, class and creed.
Hundreds of girls has wrote me in the past 9 years about how difficult it is to convince their parents to marry the guy they wish. There are few girls who are not encouraged to continue their education in some families.
Women are not given freedom they deserve even in their own family – By their parents, siblings etc. Even girls who are highly educated are expected to obey the rules laid by her brother and elders in family.
How broadminded and compassionate you are really is the sign of your Education and status you have achieved in your life
Open up your heart and give freedom to your children they deserve – Be it boy or a girl.
I spent this weekend trying to present this article to inspire Students and professionals around the world so that they remain realize the Value of Education and it is a life long process. I could have done something else the past two days.
I would have gone to a Movie, Restaurant or spent time with friends.
I would have answered my parents who are worried about me not getting married yet when ever they ask me if I like the girl they suggest.
But that isn’t what Sai wanted me to do. My life is meaningful if I do little I can to create a better world to live in through my words . I wrote few other articles related to Education which you can read below but this one is very close to my heart.
If you love Sai, Build a School for ordinary people near Shirdi Saibaba temple
Sai, Bless Students to take interest in Studies – Education can change your life
Education is the Greatest Blessing
While starting to work on this article, My Mom asked me to get something from the local shop. I walked to the shop and gave the shop keeper the list of items.He said “I don’t know to read. So just tell me what you want”. I was surprised it related to what I was going to write about. Its not just Rajasthan. India with 1.3 Billion people still lacks good education system that’s affordable for parents and inspiring for students.
I just wanted to tell people who waste their time doing odd things. There are thousands of Good schools, Educational institutes and Inspiring teachers in India but very few have actually realized the Value of continuing education. Learning doesn’t necessarily have to end with a career.
I wish there are more affordable schools in India because when Education gets expensive, it will be a burden for parents and in the end the pressure will make the students hate our education system.
I dream of a country where there are more Intellectuals with good character than Internet users.
I know what our youngsters are doing on the cyberspace ruining their life. You have access to anything that you want to learn. You can watch a documentary to widen your idea about world and various issues. You can read so many good articles about your field of interest and become an expert.
But are you doing it?
Life is really about what you make out of it and time is Gold. Keep learning and do something productive.
With grace of Mother Saraswathi,
Love,
C.Venkatraman
Little Servant of Shirdi Sai Baba
22/9/2013 – Today is Sankatahara Chaturthi auspicious for Lord Ganesha. Lets pray Ganesha to break our obstacles in gaining knowledge and creating a better world. When I worked on this article, I remember my past. I wrote a full length 125 page Screen play about a War Photographer and a Nurse and some scenes are based on Schools in Kashmir and wish someday, I give shape to it on screen.
As of now, I truly love Gulzar Sahab’s lyrics “Let the empty well of our mind be filled with the water of knowledge”
Surprise ! India is same every where. We need more Water and better Education
I have told many of my Sai friends that when ever I do something with heart and soul in StarSai, Sai really relates it with an event. Just after posting this article, Few women came to our house knocking the gate with lots of cans and pots. I don’t know where these women come from but they are poor and go from home to home asking for drinking water. Mostly, My Mom denies saying there is no enough water for us. But today, There was enough water to “Give” so Amma asked them to come inside home and take as much as they want.
Little Girl carrying water from our house in her little Pot
A women was telling much how hard it is for them to get water and they are roaming from morning. I told them not to talk and take water soon as it might be stopped any time. A Little girl was also carrying a cute plastic Pot. I quickly came inside my room, took my mobile and happy for the Photo. It doesn’t show the little girls face but it expresses her need for water.
She’s going away from our house, her mom was standing near our gate. My mom was telling the Dog in the photo is the mother of three puppies which were all taken by some people. The dog is making pleading sound from morning as she’s searching for her puppies. Who ever my Mom sees today, she’s asking “Did you see three puppies one in black color, one is brown and other is white. Their Mother is searching from morning”. The mother dog is not even having food my Mom kept. So I gave biscuits.
Anyway, Where is Rajasthan and where’s Coimbatore? Why did the women come to our home to fetch water and how surprisingly today we had enough water to Give.
Sai is skillful in connecting events.
I will be more happy if people who read this article are inspired to learn the Value of Education and continue to learn all their life – Venkat.
Edit:
A month after writing this article, I realized that there are so many other issues for both Boys and Girls to continue education. School and College fees keeps raising and our students too have lots of distraction leading to poor standards of education. Parents spend most of their earnings to help their children learn in best schools and universities and we must help students realize the Value of education.
Please read the below link
Education is the Greatest Blessing
I wrote it for Shirdi Saibaba Book of love
Venkat
