PATIALA:Punjab females less educated than males

news From TOI -

Despite tall claims of women empowerment not a single district of Punjab has higher female literacy rate than males. In all districts of Punjab females are less educated than males. It all has been happening despite huge hike of total education plan of state.

As per figures of Sarb Shiksha Abyiyan (SSA), total literacy rate of Punjab is 69.7% with female literacy rate 63.4% and male literacy rate 75.4%. Details show that Hoshiarpur has highest literacy rate of 86.5% in males and 75.3% in females, while Roopnagar is at second place with 84% male and 71.4% in females.

The literacy rate of big cities like of Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala, which is between (72.6 to 82% males and 61% to 73% in females) show that people have started taking care of education. But the lowest literacy rate 58.9% (male) and 45.5% (female) of Mansa district also points that people of this district are not serious about education.

"For low literacy rate among females than males in all district we should not blame only government officers as they could not forcibly take the girls to school. There is a need of change of attitude," said a senior government officer of the Punjab education department. It all has been happening despite the 12.07% growth in the plan and non-plan expenditure on elementary education of state.

Total plan and non-plan expenditure on elementary education was Rs 2523.67cr in 2009-10 while during 2010-11 it has registered a 12.07% increase and jumped to Rs 2828cr.