Mumbai : How much do we know about the first woman teacher of India? In that era when formal schooling for women was an alien concept in India, Jyotirao Phule understood the value of education in empowering the women. He needed some teachers to help him achieve his goal. Thus, he taught and trained his wife, Savitribai as a teacher.
Savitribai, the first Indian woman teacher is known, pioneered the movement to provide education to girls especially coming from the lowest section of society. In the year 1852, a school for untouchable girls was opened by her. It is surprisingly there is very little mention about her in the history books. Her name seems to be missing in the history books alongside other social reformers.
“Knowledge in India is appropriated by the Brahmanical, elitist interest. This makes all those who are critical such as Savitribai and Jyotirao as ‘Other’. Therefore they have tried to erase not only the knowledge created by Savitribai and Jyotirao but even their existence from the public memory, said Abhinaya Ramesh, Awardee of Britsh Chevening Fellowship, MA London University.
At an age of 17, Phule became the youngest teacher in India during the 18th century. Many activists feel Teachers’ Day in India should be celebrated on her birthday. Since she pursued the nobel profession of teaching when no teacher dared to work because of the social pressure.
‘After going through the life sketch of Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan we do not get any idea about his contribution in education. Savitribai Phule deserves to be recognised as real educator, for she, along with her husband, was in the forefront of spreading education as early as the middle of nineteenth century. It is high time that her birthday be observed as Teachers’ Day, said Chhaya Khobragade, President of Society for Sustainable Development of Indigenous Women.
“The intense struggle Savitribai underwent should be made part of the syllabus right from the beginning of the education system. It should be part of major study at graduation and post graduation level. And her means and ways of pursuing to educate and empower women should be used in the women’s study’s syllabus and made it applicable in applied research on women, added Abhinaya.
It took several years for the Maharashtra government to recognise her efforts. Also her achievements have largely been restricted to a Marathi audience, when it is actually deserving dissemination.
“The section in power decides the priority of recognition and not the knowledge and work which in itself is emancipator. This is the politics of recognition in India,” added Abhinaya.
