Most school-leaving exam results this summer reflect, as before, the trend of girls doing better than boys — both in overall pass percentages as well as in taking a fair share of merit ranks. This consistent trend is very welcome. A lot more work might be needed in rural areas, where female illiteracy is higher, but it is clear the so-called “weaker sex” is making rapid strides.
There is good news elsewhere too, with an ancient school in Delhi opening its doors to girls. After 350 years as a boys-only institution, the Anglo-Arabic Senior Secondary School at Ajmeri Gate is preparing to admit girl students. Its illustrious alumni includes Pakistan’s first Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan and several others who have distinguished themselves in public life.
The readiness with which girls from a minority community are coming forward to join a co-ed school is heartening, so too their zeal to enter streams of education earlier not regarded as suitable for them. Such breaking of barriers, pointing to a more liberal mindset, can only be good for society at large, as well as for a community which in the past discouraged girls from seeking equal opportunities in education and jobs.
For India to compete on equal terms with the rest of the world, particularly China, its young workforce must be well educated and highly competent. We need our brightest minds, irrespective of gender, to take their rightful places in the new world. What is happening at the school level is a good beginning.