Girls from affluent families are in no better position than those from less-privileged ones in terms of education.

Over 100 ICSE and ISC schools in Calcutta and another 250 elsewhere, which mostly cater to students from affluent families, record fewer enrolment of girls than boys.

The finding, of a comparative study of the last few years? results of the ICSE and ISC examinations, has prompted the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) to launch a drive to bring more girls into the ICSE and ISC system of education.

?The number of girl examinees in the past few years? ICSE and ISC exams was less than that of boys. The trend is a reflection of the truth that our schools are more in demand for boys,? Rita Wilson, deputy secretary of the CISCE, told Metro from Delhi.

The council has set up a committee to suggest measures on how to promote education among girls in ICSE and ISC schools. And if the council?s plans take shape, there is good news for parents with a single girl child.

Among many other steps, the council plans to offer financial help to the parents either by way of providing free education or awarding partial scholarships.

Gilian Rosemary Hart, principal of the ICSE girls? school Welland Gouldsmith and chairperson of the three-member CISCE committee, said the panel has started the process of preparing the suggestions.

According to Hart, also a member of the CISCE executive committee, the proposal for financial help to the parents of girl students is in response to the Centre?s directive to various school boards to promote education among girls, especially single girls.

?We want to go beyond the directive from the Centre,? said Hart. ?Instead of providing help only to single girls, we plan to extend the benefit to those who have siblings. The idea is to ensure that at least one deserving girl child from a family is covered under our system of education.?

As the council?s decision specifies that the schools will have to bear the expenditure of the scholarships, the panel will meet principals and ascertain the extent of financial relaxation they are willing to offer.

What has also prompted the council to undertake the drive to enrol more girls is the finding of another study, which shows that girls had outperformed boys in the ICSE and ISC exams in the past few years.

?The pass percentage of girls was up by three to five per cent since 2003,? an official said. In 2003, the pass percentage of girls in the ICSE exam was 95.32 per cent, against 93.02 per cent among boys.

In the ISC exam, the pass percentage of girls was 95.87 per cent, against 91.21 per cent among boys. The trend was the same in the next two years.