Schooling beyond gender stereotypes

Education plays a vital role in shaping, questioning and reinforcing the identities of boys and girls, in addition to helping shape perceptions about gender relations and equality.

A child’s secondary school years are particularly important. They are on the cusp of adulthood and in an age group critical to identity formation and decision-making, but these children are also often under pressure to conform. This pressure comes from peers, family and society.

It is clear that schools have a major responsibility to question the processes that promote unequal gender relations and to adopt practices that help break stereotypes.

While much has been done at policy level, research commissioned by the Education Section of the Commonwealth Secretariat has found that these policies are not translating into practice.

“To change this, you need institutional reform and skills development. You also need to change mindsets,” said Dr Jyotsna Jha, Education Adviser in the Secretariat's Social Transformation Programmes Division.

In Seychelles last month, the Education Section met with representatives and government nominees from seven Commonwealth countries to discuss this research and look for ways to implement its findings.

“Most countries’ schooling processes reinforce existing stereotypes we see in society and do not question them,” explained Dr Jha. “We have to remember that teachers are the products of divided societies, too.”

The workshop, which took place from 26 to 29 June 2007, was an opportunity to review the qualitative research undertaken in India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Samoa, Seychelles, and Trinidad and Tobago. The research was based on in-depth case studies of four to five schools in each country.

“Reports from different countries showed different results, ranging from boys’ underachievement -- which is a trend in several Commonwealth countries -- to countries where girls are not being encouraged to step outside their cultural norms,” said Dr Jha.

“Even where they get access to education, their schooling is not preparing them to question these stereotypes.”

In the report from Pakistan, one girl told researchers: “We females are like a white handkerchief; any small mark of ink on it will be very visible.”

The Education Section is planning to study the reports and produce a synthesis report in book form to support educators in Commonwealth countries.

“The book will be applicable beyond the countries involved in the research. These issues and recommendations are equally relevant to the education of boys and girls,” stated Dr Jha.

This is to be followed up by action projects in selected schools in these countries, and the documented experiences of the action project interventions will serve as a Resource Book for engendering the classroom and schooling processes in the Commonwealth and beyond.

Key Links:

• Education Section