Available evidence supports the view that in most cases female formal education is
associated with increased household production and increased non-market productivity.
It also appears unlikely that home based education prepares girls better for the changing
demands of developing societies than would a judicious mix of school and home based
education. Much educational experience is likely to be unavailable in the home
environment - if there are few books in the schools there are likely to be even less in the
home; mothers, the main source of educational experience in homes in many cultures
are likely to be less educated than fathers (and much less so than teachers) and more
likely to be illiterate. Many skills can only be acquired by systematic practice which is
not characteristic of much informal learning (numeracy, literacy etc.). If it were true
that other forms of education apart from schooling were as effective it is difficult to
understand why this should not be equally true for boys, a proposition that is rarely
argued in debate of this kind.
King (1990) highlights some successful strategies that have been used in increasing
female participation. School location has proved important in Bangladesh, Bhutan and
Liberia in attracting and retaining more girls in school. Girls are less likely to travel
beyond local catchment areas than boys so local provision is critical. Dormitories for
girls have also been introduced where travel distances cannot be reduced. Providing a-
secure environment for girls in school has also been influential in reassuring parents of
the safety of girl children. Efforts to increase the proportion of female teachers have
focused on local training and posting teachers in schools close to teachers' homes. This
has boosted the supply of female teachers in parts of Pakistan and Nepal. Financial
incentives have been used in Guatemala to encourage continued enrolment and
discourage early pregnancy. Bangladesh has also employed female scholarship
programmes with a positive impact on enrolments - in the Sharastri Upazali area more
than 20,000 girls benefited during the 1 980's and female enrolments reached twice the
national average. Community care schemes have been implemented in Colombia to free
daughters of caring for siblings and domestic work and enable them to attend school.
Improvements in technology can reduce the burden of domestic work that falls on girls
and women - such that for example less fire wood needs to be collected. Flexible
scheduling of classes can also provide opportunities to attend school outside the hours
needed for basic economic activity. Adult education can also be used to increase
awareness of the benefits of educating female children and can provide opportunities to
those who missed the opportunity to attend normal schools. The removal of gender bias
from curriculum materials and courses may also assist.
It can be concluded that on grounds of equitable access to education, and from
indicators of participation and educational outcomes there is an overwhelming case for
assistance to improve the attendance levels and achievement of girls in many
developing countries. The evidence on rates of return suggests that these are generally
no less than those for boys and may be greater. The significance of the widely cited
externalities - improved nutrition, reduced child mortality, smaller family sizes,