Patna, Jan 24: Marking the International Day of Education and National Girl Child Day, a thought-provoking seminar titled “When Education Empowers Girls, Society Transforms” was organised at British Lingua, Boring Road Crossing, Patna, on Friday.
Addressing educators, students, parents, and civil society members, noted educationist, author, and social thinker Dr. Birbal Jha delivered a compelling address underscoring the centrality of girls’ education to India’s social and economic progress.
“Educating a girl is not an act of charity; it is an act of nation-building. When a girl is educated, generations rise with her.”, said Dr. Birbal Jha, Founder of British Lingua, an institute of international repute for communication skills and employability enhancement programme.
Highlighting the deeper purpose of education, he stressed that education must go beyond literacy and employment to foster dignity, confidence, and agency.
“Education is not just about degrees; it is about voice, choice, self-belief and overall empowerment. A truly educated girl becomes a leader, not a follower.”
Dr. Jha noted that while policy frameworks and constitutional safeguards exist, social conditioning and structural barriers continue to impede the full educational empowerment of girls in many parts of the country.
“The real challenge is not access alone, but attitude. We must ask ourselves whether we are truly giving our daughters wings or merely loosening their chains.”
Referring to the coincidence of International Day of Education and National Girl Child Day falling on the same date, Dr. Jha described it as deeply symbolic.
“No educational agenda can be called complete unless the girl child stands at its centre.”
Calling upon educators and institutions to play a transformative role, Dr Jha emphasised the need for quality education that nurtures communication skills, critical thinking, moral values, and confidence—especially among girls.
“The question today is not whether we can afford to educate girls, but whether India can afford not to.”
The seminar concluded with a collective call to action to invest consciously and consistently in the education of the girl child as a prerequisite for building an inclusive, progressive, and developed India.