No abstract

It is argued that the perception of existing inequality within the field of school education gave rise to the language of rights, but that normative notions of childhood underpinning educational discourses have not been sufficiently problematised. The paper makes a case for productive convergence between the discourses of quality and inequality by drawing on the observations from a study of government schools in Andhra Pradesh. Specifically, the paper foregrounds the need for reflecting on the tacit agreement that exists within the education system about bracketing off questions of socio-cultural inequality when discussing issues of quality and learning goals on the one hand, and the compartmentalisation of the language of rights on the other hand such that adequate attention has not yet been paid to questions of educational quality.

It is a common belief that there are substantial returns on education, both direct and indirect and gainful employment is regarded as one of the expected outcomes of education. However, existing analyses of the employment–unemployment trends in India indicate an inverse relationship between women’s education and employment. Within such a context this article seeks to raise the question of whether the education system can address the problem of educated women withdrawing from the labour force even as attempts are made to transform other structural factors that impinge on the situation. Feminist concerns about empowerment frame this discussion on education and employment.

The present paper examines the founding moment of women's studies in India, namely, the 1970s. It investigates the unique impulses that made women's studies possible, which predated the official recognition of women's studies as field of study within the university system. Institutions such as the Indian Council of Social Science Research as well as the women's movement were critical players in this complex process. The paper goes on to discuss a major lacuna in women's studies, namely, its pedagogical dimension. Indeed, the absence of information or discussion of feminist pedagogic strategies within higher education could be one of the chief hurdles currently impeding a critical assessment of the undoubtedly significant role that women's studies has played.

Within a global context where the education of girls is increasingly being prioritized and held up as the norm through the adoption of international goals and policies, countries of South Asia too have made significant advances as far as female education is concerned. This development is particularly impressive given the history of the region wherein strong social taboos prevailed against the education of girls. Various policies and schemes adopted over a period of time by each South Asian country have led to improved gender parity at different levels of education within the country. The available statistics, however, also reveal a skewed picture in terms of who actually accesses and participates in education. The fact that large numbers of girls still remain outside the formal system of education is a matter of serious concern to all those who believe in the transformatory potential of education. In this context, it has been pointed out that geographical location, class, caste, region, religion, and language play a critical