LANGUAGE, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
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FINDINGS While tremendous progress has been made in achieving nearly universal access to and completion of primary school throughout India, secondary school-age girls continue to lag behind their primary school and male counterparts in enrollment, completion, and quality of schooling. Access to meaningful higher education and economic opportunities still remains a challenge for these girls. My research studies the main influences that secondary school-age girls in Mumbai’s public schools identify as influencing their decision-making regarding their higher educational and employment choices, and the role of language in the prospective opportunities they feel they have. LANGUAGE, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY INFLUENCES ON SECONDARY SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS’ DECISION-MAKING IN MUMBAI, INDIA Through interviews of secondary school-age girls in Mumbai public schools, my research finds that parental support, socioeconomic status, and family beliefs are the most significant factors that influence girls’ decision making. This research also illustrates how perceptions of language create a pressure to learn and use dominant languages at the expense of diverse mother tongue languages. The findings highlight the need for a holistic, bottom-up approach in developing solutions to boost girls’ access to meaningful higher education and economic opportunities. METHODOLOGY My research population is secondary school-age girls who are, or have been, in various public schools in Mumbai, and who come from lower- income families. I specifically focus on this population sample since their age, gender, and socioeconomic status make them vulnerable to unequal gender norms. To explore girls’ perspectives on factors influencing their decisions, I used open-ended, semi-structured interviews. My interview questions focused on both general background questions as well as specific career- and language- related questions. WHAT WE KNOW INTRODUCTION CONCLUSION Uses of Language Future Plans Primary Influence on Life-Path Decisions Literature illustrates that some of the most inhibiting factors for girls’ completion of secondary schooling in developing countries are inadequate infrastructure, lack of safety, limited familial resources and strong cultural norms. As girls reach adolescence, they face new and different needs that must be met in order to receive adequate education. When school conditions hinder or prevent the fulfillment of these needs, girls’ attendance and learning is negatively impacted. Research illustrates that girls, particularly in linguistically diverse developing countries, are significantly more likely to speak, use, and understand local and regional languages more comfortably than they are the dominant languages. Such linguistic diversity is two-fold: while it has tremendous potential to enrich the quality of schooling, it may also reinforce gender inequalities in education. Research also confirms gender inequality in the decision- making process, influencing girls’ ability to choose what to do after schooling. In patriarchal communities, girls’ futures are often shaped by the men in the family. For all girls and women to be involved in educational, economic, or health decision-making processes remains a challenge. Without a voice in decision-making, girls and young women are unable to determine life-paths most aligned with their interests and goals. Many researchers describe the disconnect between pursuing higher education and gaining meaningful employment opportunities for girls. For those girls that do finish schooling and pursue higher education, doing so is often not perceived as an investment into her future. Thus, higher education does not necessarily equate to meaningful economic opportunities, and family responsibility often takes precedence over career choices for girls and young women. References Ahamad, T. & Narayana, A. (2015). International Journal of Applied Research; Benson, Carol (2005). Girls, educational equity and mother tongue-based teaching; Chitrakar, R. (2009). Overcoming barriers to girls’ education in South Asia; Choge, J. R. (2015). Journal of Education and Practice; Das, B.K. (2017). International Research Journal of Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Studies (IRJIMS); Ferreira, F. J. & Kamal, M. A. (2017). Journal of Learning for Development; Kishori, Vacha Project Team (2002). Economic and Political Weekly; Shahidul, S. M. (2013). International Education Studies; Singh, N. (2008). Forum on Public Policy Alisha Parikh Number of Girls Language English Hindi Marathi Regional Doctor Lawyer Accountant Arts Follow Parents Unsure Number of Girls Preferred Career Path
Transcript of LANGUAGE, EDUCATION, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
F I N D I N G S
While tremendous progress has been made in achieving nearly universal access to and completion of primary school throughout India,
secondary school-age girls continue to lag behind their primary school and male counterparts in enrollment, completion, and quality of
schooling. Access to meaningful higher education and economic opportunities still remains a challenge for these girls. My research studies
the main influences that secondary school-age girls in Mumbai’s public schools identify as influencing their decision-making regarding
their higher educational and employment choices, and the role of language in the prospective opportunities they feel they have.
L A N G U A G E , E D U C A T I O N , A N D
E C O N O M I C O P P O R T U N I T YI N F L U E N C E S O N S E C O N D A R Y S C H O O L - A G E
G I R L S ’ D E C I S I O N - M A K I N G I N M U M B A I , I N D I A
Through interviews of secondary school-age girls in Mumbai public schools, my research finds that parental support, socioeconomic status,and family beliefs are the most significant factors that influence girls’ decision making. This research also illustrates how perceptions oflanguage create a pressure to learn and use dominant languages at the expense of diverse mother tongue languages. The findings highlightthe need for a holistic, bottom-up approach in developing solutions to boost girls’ access to meaningful higher education and economicopportunities.
M E T H O D O L O G Y
My research population is secondary school-age girls who are, or have
been, in various public schools in Mumbai, and who come from lower-
income families. I specifically focus on this population sample since
their age, gender, and socioeconomic status make them vulnerable to
unequal gender norms. To explore girls’ perspectives on factors
influencing their decisions, I used open-ended, semi-structured
interviews. My interview questions focused on both general
background questions as well as specific career- and language- related
questions.
W H A T W E K N O W
I N T R O D U C T I O N
C O N C L U S I O N
Uses of Language
Future Plans
Primary Influence on Life-Path Decisions
Literature illustrates that some of the most inhibiting
factors for girls’ completion of secondary schooling in
developing countries are inadequate infrastructure, lack of
safety, limited familial resources and strong cultural norms.
As girls reach adolescence, they face new and different
needs that must be met in order to receive adequate
education. When school conditions hinder or prevent the
fulfillment of these needs, girls’ attendance and learning is
negatively impacted.
Research illustrates that girls, particularly in linguistically
diverse developing countries, are significantly more likely
to speak, use, and understand local and regional languages
more comfortably than they are the dominant
languages. Such linguistic diversity is two-fold: while it has
tremendous potential to enrich the quality of schooling, it
may also reinforce gender inequalities in education.
Research also confirms gender inequality in the decision-
making process, influencing girls’ ability to choose what
to do after schooling. In patriarchal communities, girls’
futures are often shaped by the men in the family. For all
girls and women to be involved in educational, economic,
or health decision-making processes remains a challenge.
Without a voice in decision-making, girls and young
women are unable to determine life-paths most aligned
with their interests and goals.
Many researchers describe the disconnect between
pursuing higher education and gaining meaningful
employment opportunities for girls. For those girls that
do finish schooling and pursue higher education, doing
so is often not perceived as an investment into her
future. Thus, higher education does not necessarily
equate to meaningful economic opportunities, and
family responsibility often takes precedence over career
choices for girls and young women.
R e f e r e n c e s
Ahamad, T. & Narayana, A. (2015). International Journal of Applied Research; Benson, Carol (2005). Girls, educational equity and mother tongue-based teaching; Chitrakar, R. (2009). Overcoming barriers to girls’ education in South Asia; Choge, J. R. (2015). Journal of Education andPractice; Das, B.K. (2017). International Research Journal of Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Studies (IRJIMS); Ferreira, F. J. & Kamal, M. A. (2017). Journal of Learning for Development; Kishori, Vacha Project Team (2002). Economic and Political Weekly; Shahidul, S. M. (2013).International Education Studies; Singh, N. (2008). Forum on Public Policy
Alisha Parikh
Number of Girls
Lan
guag
e
English
Hindi
Marathi
Regional
Doctor Lawyer Accountant Arts Follow Parents Unsure
Nu
mb
er o
f G
irls
Preferred Career Path
