Gender & Equity | Samagra Shiksha Govt. of Meghalaya

Bridging gender and social category gaps at all levels of school education is one of the major objectives of the Integrated Scheme. Consequently, the Integrated Scheme attempts to reach out to girls, and children belonging to SC, ST, Minority communities and transgender. The scheme also gives attention to urban deprived children, children affected by periodic migration, and children living in remote and scattered habitations. The Integrated Scheme also focuses on the identified SFDs on the basis of adverse performance on various indicators of enrolment, retention, and gender parity, as well as based on higher concentration of SC, ST and minority communities.

Although various centrally sponsored schemes have contributed significantly in addressing the gender and equity issues at different levels of school education, there is a need to build on these gains by further synergizing our efforts in accordance with the SDGs to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and the objectives envisaged in the Integrated Scheme.

Gender cuts across the categories of disadvantaged groups as well as weaker sections. The RTE Act in different sections makes reference to gender and girls’ education both explicitly and implicitly. Some of the relevant provisions are: no discrimination against children from ‘disadvantaged groups and ‘weaker sections’ on any grounds (including gender); inclusion of women in school monitoring committees; provision of good quality education that includes equity issues, curriculum development in conformity with constitutional stipulations, training, enrolment in age appropriate classes (which will largely apply to girls, especially from disadvantaged communities).

RTE, equity and social inclusion

The enactment of the RTE Act, 2009 requires addressing gender and social equity within a framework that is holistic and systemic. The Act has defined children belonging to disadvantaged groups and children belonging to weaker sections as follows:

Disadvantaged Group are defined as those that belonged to the “children with disability, SC, ST, socially and educationally backward class or such other groups having disadvantage owing to social, cultural, economical, geographical, linguistic, gender, or such other factors as may be specified by the appropriate Government by notification”.

Weaker Sections are defined as those “belonging to such parent or guardian whose annual income is lower than the minimum specified by the appropriate Government by notification”.