'Gender discrimination has impacted education during COVID-19 pandemic'

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: "Gender discrimination has impacted tremendously in education, not only in the State but also across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic situation." This was expressed by Purva Bharati Educational Trust (PBET) in Lakhimpur on Monday after completing a study on 'Mapping the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the lives and education of children in India with special reference of finding in Assam', while releasing the study report. The study report was released in a District Dissemination-cum-Discussion Meeting held over the study report organized by PBET in North Lakhimpur town.

Notably, the study was initiated by PBET, Champions of Girl's Education, led by Centre for Budget and Policy Studies across five States in India, viz— Assam (5 districts), Bihar (8 districts), Uttar Pradesh (8 districts), Telengana (4 districts) and Delhi (1 district). The study was conducted in order to understand the impact of COVID-19 on livelihood and earnings of families living margins, and its relationship with the education of children, the impact of school closure and lockdown on girls' education, including the changes in the social and family environment that could impact enrollment and retention of girls in school and the landscape of the institutional and policy interventions with potential or intent to mitigate the adverse impact of COVID-19 on girls' education. Five districts of Assam, namely Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Tinsukia, Dhubri and Kokrajhar were covered in the study.

According to the report of the study, as released in the District Dissemination and Discussion Meeting, 60 per cent of the students said that their life was better before the lockdown with a marginally higher percentage of girls (60%) saying that as compared to boys (52%). This could be attributed to the restrictions they otherwise face, and school being the rare opportunity to get out of home. The top stated reason (48%) for their preference of their pre-lockdown life was being able to go to school and study. The second most (17%) cited reason was that school enabled them to meet their friends. A greater number of boys (51%) as compared to the girls (47%) cited loss of learning and missing out on school as a reason for life being better before. Also 13 per cent girls said that their life was better since they faced less scarcity in terms of money and food before the pandemic. The access to technology for girls was even more limited. Only 31 per cent girls said that they always had access to a phone as compared to 43 per cent boys, with even more limited access to internet due to various reasons in order to pursue their education online.

The District Dissemination and Discussion Meeting was held under the management of PBET Coordinator SangitaTete. Director of PBET and Champions of Girl's Education, Bondita Acharya made the study report public in the meeting. Block Elementary Education Officer Izazul Hussain, Samagra Siksha Abhiyan District Programme Officer, Derajuddin Hussain and Nawa Bihan Society secretary Godfrey Here took part in the event as resource persons and they held detailed discussion over the study report in order to wipe out the gender discrimination during the adverse situation caused by the pandemic.

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