Girls: Growing up in the Global Education System :: Essays Papers

Girls: Growing up in the Global Education System Introduction When one thinks of the term â€Å"school education†, one sees it as the golden key to a brighter future, improving employment prospects and earnings but fundamentally we think of a system that serves to stimulate individual talents to the full, regardless of race, gender or social status. The naivete of this thought is huge however, as the majority of people are unaware of the victimization of girls that exists in the schooling system. Reports around the world show examinations of how girls face multiple social and economic barriers to both enrolling in and staying in school. However, in most settings, disparities between initial enrollment rates for girls and boys are much greater than differences in drop out rates, suggesting that the major challenge remains to get girls in school. In this report, I will focus my attention into three areas: the barriers that girls face in enrolling in the schooling system; the inequalities that they receive in school (ultimat ely an inferior education to boys due to gender bias and other issues); as well as the paths taken by administrators towards improving the state of a girl’s education. Due to the wide range of sources that I used, I will attempt to parallel the elements of a girl's education from various corners of the globe with that of girls living on the border. Barriers Girls face in enrolling in school Factors that affect the percentage of girls who enroll in school are various; poverty, tradition and culture are the primary barriers which girls experience in school enrolment. A family’s income is a great determinant of the probability that girls will attend school. If a family’s income is low, the son is often chosen to attend school rather than the daughter, as he is more likely to contribute financially to the family income and support their parents, as they grow old. Girls in such an environment are needed to help with household chores and childcare for younger siblings. Since schooling involves substantial costs for fees, books, uniforms and transportation, when available school places or family resources are limited, parents often give higher priority to educating sons. This situation oftentimes accurately depicts the situation facing girls living on the border, as their families can be classed in such a poor social status.