Women's education during the colonial period, which refers to the time when European powers established colonies in various parts of the world, varied significantly depending on the region and the specific colonial power in control. Here, I will provide a general overview of women's education during this period.
Limited Access to Formal Education: In most colonial societies, women had limited access to formal education. Education was primarily reserved for boys and men, and women were often excluded from schools and institutions of higher learning.
Religious Education: In some colonies, especially those under the influence of Catholicism, women received religious education. Nuns played a significant role in teaching girls about religion and basic literacy skills. Convents and religious schools were often the primary source of education for girls.
Informal and Household Education: In many colonial societies, girls learned basic skills and knowledge within the household. They were taught domestic skills like cooking, sewing, and childcare by their mothers or other female relatives. This informal education was considered sufficient for their expected roles as wives and mothers.
Missionary Efforts: Missionary activities, particularly in places like Africa and parts of Asia, played a role in educating indigenous girls. Missionary schools provided some education to girls, often with an emphasis on converting them to Christianity and teaching them European values.
Privileged Classes: Women from the upper classes and elite families in some colonies had more access to education. They might receive education at home or be sent to private schools, albeit with a focus on refining their social and cultural skills rather than academic pursuits.
Challenges to Female Education: Many colonial societies held conservative views about the role of women, which hindered efforts to expand female education. Additionally, colonial powers sometimes prioritized the education of boys and men to groom a local elite that could assist in colonial administration.
Emergence of Female Educational Institutions: Towards the end of the colonial period, there were some efforts to establish schools and institutions specifically for girls. However, these were still limited in scope and often focused on providing practical skills rather than academic knowledge.
It's important to note that the colonial period was marked by significant inequalities, and these inequalities extended to access to education. The situation varied greatly from one colonial region to another, depending on factors such as the colonial power, local customs, and socioeconomic factors. The struggle for gender equality in education continued well beyond the colonial era and remains an ongoing global concern.
2. Introduction
• Education for women is an important step in the development and
growth of a society, yet it continues to be a neglected domain from
the colonial period till the present times.
• Education is the most important aspect of the developmental process of
a person. It enables the person to know the right conduct and equips
him/her to differentiate between right and wrong. Equally important is
the fact that women receive quality education at par with the education
received by the male section of the society.
• When the female section of society is educated, the future family
becomes educated
3. • This shows the immense importance of educating women and its
impact on the society and nation. Despite this, a large number of
women were prohibited from receiving any type of formal
education as it was believed that they are suitable for doing the
household chores and looking after the family and children only.
4. The Initiation into Schooling
• The first school to be opened exclusively for girls was started by
Robert May of London Missionary Society (LMS) in Bengal region of
Chinsurah in 1818, after which various schools were opened for
girls by various pioneers. Mary Ann Cooke was regarded as amongst
the first missionary women to open a school under Church
Missionary Society (CMS) in order to promote women education.
• The first boarding school which was opened for girls was with the
initiative of CMS in Tirnuelveli in 1821.
5. The curriculum
• The curriculum included reading, writing, spelling and
needlework.
6. Barriers
• Though initiative was taken by the missionaries, yet the number of
enrolment in these schools did not reflect the attitude of the
Indian towards women education.
• Girls belonging to respectable Hindu families were not sent to
these schools for the fear of religion conversion.
• Eminent scholar Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, who on one hand promoted
Western education for Muslim boys and on the other, was against
any type of education for Muslim girls. He regarded women to be
emotional and irrational and inferior to men intellectually and
physically.
7. • The Dalits are also known as Harijans or the scheduled castes and
they have faced discrimination in every aspect of their lives in the
hands of the upper castes. They have been prevented from
entering educational institutions like schools, colleges and hence,
been prevented from accessing education.
• The Dalit girls had to face ‘double discrimination’ in the sense
that they were not only discriminated for their gender but also for
their caste, and therefore, were often discouraged from attending
schools and colleges which were distant and male dominated.
8. Educating Girls from Different Religions
• Apart from education of the girls belonging to Hindu community,
attention was also paid on educating the girls belonging to other
minority religions. Amongst the first to provide education to their
girls were the Parsis in Bombay.
• Since the 1840s, the Parsi girls were secretly being educated in
their homes. Literacy was highest among the Parsi girls.
• There were many female patrons for education of Muslim girls
including Sikander Begum, Shah Jahan Begum, and Sultan Jahan
Begum among others who served as a role model for other women
as they themselves were highly educated.
