Here is the class notes from Class  NCERT Civics- Chapter 4: “Growing up as Boys and Girls”

 Growing Up in Different Societies

• Example: Samoa Islands (1920s)
  • The Samoan Islands are part of a large group of small islands in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean.
  • Fishing was a very important activity on the islands.
  • Children did not go to school.
  • Both boys and girls looked after their younger siblings.
  • But, by the time a boy was about nine years old, he joined the older boys in learning outdoor jobs like fishing and planting coconuts.
  • Girls had to continue looking after small children or do errands for adults till they were teenagers.
  • But, once they became teenagers they had much more freedom.
  • After the age of fourteen or so, girls also went on fishing trips, worked in the plantations, learn how to weave baskets.
  • Boys were supposed to do most of the work while girls helped with the preparations.
  • Roles were based on age and gender.
• Example: Madhya Pradesh in the 1960s.
  • Boys and girls went to separate schools.
  • The girls’ school was designed very differently from the boys’ school.
  • They had a central courtyard where they played in total seclusion and safety from the outside world.
  • The boys’ school had no such courtyard and our playground was just a big space attached to the school.
  • Every evening, once school was over, the boys watched as hundreds of school girls crowded the narrow streets.
  • As these girls walked on the streets, they looked so purposeful.
  • This was unlike the boys who used the streets as a place to stand around idling, to play, to try out tricks with their bicycles.
  • For the girls, the street was simply a place to get straight home.
  • The girls always went in groups, perhaps because they also carried fears of being teased or attacked

Conclusion

• There is clear distinction  between boys and girls.

Lives of Girls in School

• Earlier, girls’ education was not encouraged.
• Girls were expected to do household chores.
• Many girls still face challenges like:
  • Early marriage
  • Lack of access to school
  • Family responsibilities

Women’s Work and Role

• Most domestic work is done by women (cooking, cleaning, caring).
• This work is unpaid and often not valued as “real work.”
• Women also work outside the home, but their contribution is often undervalued.

 Gender and Equality

• Discrimination between boys and girls is common in many families and workplaces.
• Laws and awareness are important to bring gender equality.
• Equal rights and opportunities for both men and women are essential for a fair society.