Going to school is a normal part of life for girls today. But more than 175 years ago, girls in India had very few opportunities to receive formal education.
The school was opened at Bhide Wada and is recognised as the first modern school in India exclusively for girls. Savitribai Phule was an educator, poet and social reformer. She worked at a time when sending girls to school was not widely accepted. With the support of Jyotirao Phule, she trained as a teacher and began teaching girls at the school in Pune. The couple later opened more schools to promote education among girls and communities that had limited access to education.
A major change came in 1848, when Savitribai Phule and Jyotirao Phule started a school for girls in Pune, Maharashtra.
The school at Bhide Wada was an important step in the history of girls’ education in India. At a time when girls were often kept away from formal education, it gave them an opportunity to study.
