Indian Women Is the Necessity of Women's Education

Education is the work of systematically equipping, particularly the new generation, but generally all members of society, with knowledge, skills and values and, most importantly, the ability to think, in institutions designed for the purpose with people who have been trained to teach and train. Included in this definition are a variety of courses that are given outside of schools (T.C. Başbakanlık, 1994). Education is the means a society uses to continue and disseminate its own culture (Verghese, 1991). While education reproduces capacity strong social structures it also establishes the individual's (female/male) social position and individual. Literacy and education, which share in increasing human potential, are elements that have developed both women's and men's views on life. Further, education is a precondition for living a productive life in the modern world (Joekes, 1989). When we look at the situation in our country the population's literacy rate is continually increasing for both sexes. However, although the literacy rate of women is increasing more rapidly than men, the percentage of literate men in the population is 93.3% and is 80.6% for women, and the difference between sexes in the level of education continues. 45.3% of women and 50.3% of men are primary school graduates (grades 1-5). The percentage of junior high school (grades 6-8) graduate men is 2.1 times higher than the percentage of women, and the percentage of men who are high school (grades 9-11) graduates is 1.8 times higher. The percentage of men who are university graduates in 10.2% and of women is 5.4% It is a fact that action to strengthen women begins with education. In the ICPD action program accepted in Cairo in 1994 the importance of education in the strengthening of the role of women was emphasized; it prepares the foundation for them to obtain a quality of life appropriate for humanity and to enjoy their rights. Together with the assistance of UNFPA, UNICEF and UNESCO national and international discussion and national efforts are helping the defense of and the education of women and girls to become a reality (Obaid, 2001). It is known that in parallel with an increase in the profitability of women's education there are increases in personal income, decreases in rates of childbirth and deaths of children, creation of social extroversion (having successful social relationships), removal of the differences between generations with access to better health and educational possibilities for their children, and ensuring equal opportunity for those at low income level with those at high income level (Shultz, 1994). Because they are beneficial in many ways, it can be said that using resources for quality education of women and girls is one of the best investments that a society can make (Obaid, 2001). An educated woman knows she needs to have confidence in her own knowledge and skills and needs to be a better parent, employee and citizen. An educated woman makes more independent, personal, political and economic decisions. She increases her standard of living and the nation's productivity (World Bank, 1993).

METHOD

The women's opinions about the necessity of women's education, their education age, and employment status were recorded and examined. (The former education system in India which was used in this research is divided into primary education (grades 1-5), secondary education (junior high school in grades 6-8 and high school in grades 9-11), and higher education With a new application in India education system in the education year 2010-11, primary and junior high school graduations were abolished and compulsory education has been put in force. Thus the compulsory education was increased from 5 years to 8 years with this new system).

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

The largest percentage of the groups of the women in the research were the 27-38 year old age group (43.6%), at most primary education or less educated (60.6%) and women who were not working (88.1%). The percentage of working women was highest in the 27-38 year old age group and in those with university level education (39.0%) (p<0.05).The participation of women in the workforce of our country begins at age 12 and rapidly increases to the highest level in the 20-24 year old age group. The percentage of women who participate in the workforce slowly decreases from age 25 to age 64. On the other hand it is known that there is an almost linear relationship between participation in the workforce and educational level. Women's low level of education is one of the reasons there are not enough places of employment for them. For this reason a woman's educational level is an important factor in whether or not she works; as a woman's educational level increases her desire to work increases. 96.2% of the women participating in the study thought that women should absolutely be educated. Almost all of the women at every educational level thought that women should absolutely be educated (primary education or less was at 94.4%, secondary education was 99.0% and higher education level was 98.6%) ( p<0.05).

Taking into consideration the age group of the women, the women in the 51 and older age group had the lowest percentage compared to the other age groups that women should absolutely be educated. Almost all of the working women (99.3%) thought that women should absolutely be educated. The percentage of those not having this opinion was only 0.7% (p<0.05). While 1106 (93.7%) of the women at whatever age thought that women should be educated, there were only 74 people (6.3%) who did not have that opinion. Of the 1106 women at whatever age in the sample who stated that education was necessary 63.0% thought that people need education at every age, and 37.0% that it is necessary that people be educated because with time there could be subjects that they want to know about or be trained to do (Table 1). Higher education level women (68.5%) and women in the 51 and older age group (67.5%) had a high percentage with the opinion that women needed to be educated at every age ( p>0.05) (Table 1) A higher percentage of women who were not working (63.9%) thought that people needed to be educated whatever their age than women who were working (56.8%) (p<0.05). Of the 74 women in the sample who stated that they did not think that women needed to be educated, 75.5% thought that women had more important duties that needed to be done and 24.5% that education didn't need to be given to women.

While 95.8% of the women thought that it was necessary to give education to a woman who had never gone to school, 4.2% were not of that opinion (Table 2). In parallel with an increase in the educational level of the women was an increase in the percentage of those who thought that it was necessary to educate a woman who had never gone to school (94.5% of primary education or less, 98.0% of secondary education, 100.0% of higher education level) (p<0.05). When the subject of age was examined, the highest percentage of women who thought that it was necessary to educate a woman who had never gone to school were the women in the 27-38 year old age group compared to the other age groups (p<0.05).The percentage of women who did not think that it was necessary to educate a woman who had never gone to school was lower in the working women(1.4%)compared to the women who were not working(4.5%) (p>0.05)(Table 2).

The majority of the women were in the 27-38 year old age group, had primary school education or less, and were not working. The percentage of working women in the 27-38 year old age group with higher education was high. The majority of the women thought that women should absolutely be educated. Important factors for those who did not have this opinion were the women's educational level, age and employment status. The percentage of women who thought that women should be educated no whatever their age was higher than those who did not have this opinion, and first in the list of reasons why education was necessary was that people at whatever age need education. Almost all of the women thought that a woman who had left school for whatever reason should complete her education; the percentage that disagreed was quite low. Parallel with an increase in educational level was an increase in those who thought that a woman who had left school for whatever reason should complete her education First in the list the women gave of subjects women need to be educated about was a skill, profession. This was followed by health and health services, active participation in social, economic and cultural endeavors, and family planning. First in the list the women gave for why women need to be educated was that she would gain economic independence. This was followed by ensuring the ability to stand on her own feet, and gaining respect in society. The women thought that educating women was important first to the individual, then to the family and to society. Together with an increase in educational level was a decrease in thinking education was primarily important to the family and an increase in thinking that it is important to society. The majority of women thought that a woman who had left school for whatever reason should complete her education. The woman's educational level and age influenced this opinion.

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