While the State Government is claiming to give highest priority for the girls’ education, latest Stats reveal that out of the total female population of over two crore in the State, hardly over two lakh female are able to go to colleges.
The Census 2011 Report released recently on the population attending educational institutions reveals that hardly 10 per cent of the female folk are able to avail higher education.
According to the report out of 2, 07, 62,082 female population only 2, 34,046 are able to go to the colleges, reveals the report. While advanced districts like Khordha has highest representation of female of 24,590 in colleges, backward tribal dominated Malkangiri has only 910 girls in its colleges.
Similarly girls’ education in Boudh is dismal as only 1,097 girls are able to attend colleges. Higher education for girls in tribal zones are in a sad state as almost all the tribal dominated districts are reporting poor percentage of female folks going to colleges.
Maoist prone and tribal district like Deogarh has only 1,252 girls in its colleges, while Nuapada, which is equally hit by left Wing Extremists (lWE) menace, has reported only 1,346 girls in its colleges.
Similar situation is in Koraput, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Subarnapur and Gajapati, where number of girls attending the colleges is less than 5,000 in each of the districts.
Stats reveal that girls are dropping out from the school level in the tribal districts. While in Malkangiri, where only 910 girls attended colleges, 55,474 were in the schools, reveals the Report.
Similarly in Boudh 46,415 girls attended school education, while in Nabarangpur over one lakh girls attended the schools and 10 per cent of them went to colleges.
Out of the total 62,949 girls attending vocational institutions in the State, only 120 are in Malkangiri, Boudh 147, Deogarh 225, Nuapada 290 and 393 are in Gajapati. All these are tribal dominated and Maoist affected districts where backwardness and poverty is acute. While women empowerment is the flagship initiative of the State Government, such a low level participation by girls in vocational education speaks volumes, pointed out an expert in skill development.
The State Government has opened special institution for differently able, but it also speaks low turnout of girls as Deogarh has just 30 girls taking the education, Boudh, 59 Malkangiri 60, Nuapada, 131, Gajapati, 149, reveals the Census Report.