Jayati Godhawat
JWB Blogger
Rajasthan Textbooks Are Preaching Male Superiority To The Kids
- JWB Post
- July 19, 2016
Do you ever take into consideration as to what your child is learning in his/her school? Does the root of gender inequality and insensitivity lie in the books our children are reading?
Well, it might be disturbing but, the answer is yes!
Yesterday morning, as I was sipping my coffee and going through my TOI app, I came across this news where revised school textbooks in Rajasthan are clearly advocating male superiority through illustrations and text.
In a textbook for Grade III, a chapter ‘Games’ depicts images of only boys playing games, subtly hinting that sports are for the boys. Also,
Also, in a Class VIII textbook, a chapter has an excerpt of a Sindhi poet, stating, “A woman’s duty is to follow her man. It also showcases how the poet had six children, three each from his two wives. He married twice after the death of his first wife at the age of 46. The entire chapter reflects male dominance and that a woman’s job is to bear children,” as told by Devyani Bhardwaj, one of the academics who examined the revised textbooks.
There were many more such points that were highlighted by the people who scanned these textbooks and all of them expressed their concern over the issue that patriarchy is being instilled in the minds of children which leads to gender inequality in the long run. (You can read the entire news here.)
Children learn from what they see, what they hear and what they are taught. And, it’s time that we introspect as to what we are teaching the young minds that are the future.
May Sarton, once, aptly said, “Words are more powerful than perhaps anyone suspects, and once deeply engraved in a child’s mind, they are not easily eradicated.”
I believe, the school textbooks must be well scrutinized by the concerned authorities on various parameters and only then, should be permitted for further use.
You can also get the latest news and instant updates on your phone through TOI app.
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