This report was published in The Hindu on 05/04/2023
Stress laid on creating inclusive learning environments to ensure that schools are gender-friendly and do not promote prejudices
There is a pressing need to conduct gender audits in schools, revise textbooks, and impart training to teachers to create gender-inclusive learning environments to ensure that schools are gender-friendly and do not promote gender prejudices.
The gender lens also needs to be applied to infrastructure and facilities on campuses, says a study by the Kochi-based Centre for Socio-economic and Environmental Studies.
Though discussions on making schools gender-friendly usually revolve around school uniforms, there are several other issues that need immediate attention. The study found limited space for interactions between boys and girls, even in co-educational schools in the State.
Strict gender norms determine friendship among students. Even while commuting to school, students move into gender segregated groups. Interaction within the school, seating arrangements, and the way intervals or lunch-breaks are spent show gender segregation. Gender-mixed groups are exceptions and peer groups impose gender norms.
It is time to rethink how schools can help students reach their full potential and break stereotypes. There should be increased efforts to ensure education and learning activities in gender-mixed groups and encourage more interactions between students from different genders. This should cover curricular and co-curricular activities, said the study led by Rakkee Thimothy.
The study also found that only limited classroom activities enabled boys and girls to work together, regardless of whether they attended aided or government schools. When students are grouped into teams for various activities, they are usually formed as gender-segregated groups.
There is also gender difference when activities are assigned in a class. Students are tasked to write on chalkboards and collect completed records and homework. But when it comes to requirements such as a teacher needing a laptop or a projector, or help with the computer or in science labs, for purchasing chart papers or chalks, boys are preferred. Boys are more often tasked to take up activities that take up public space, said the study conducted in schools in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts during the 2020-21 period.
There is a need to include gender-inclusive infrastructure in co-educational schools. The annual school inspection should assess the availability and maintenance of such facilities. The “culturally-imposed silence in Kerala society on sexuality” leads to poor transactions relating to reproduction and sexuality.
The study called for review of curricula and textbooks for gender bias and gender sensitivity. Gender-neutral terms and pronouns would aid students in avoiding gender bias from a young age. The contributions of women are under-represented in textbooks, which needs to be corrected.
A gender audit of social sciences textbooks used in Classes 8, 9 and 10 indicates that women’s representation in social sciences textbooks is low. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and more (LGBTQIA+) communities are almost entirely ignored.