Let Her Be All That She Can Be!
Many girls cannot achieve their full potential in a coeducational school. Peer pressure, their perceived need to conform to popular opinion and thinking, their desire to be accepted - these are some of the reasons which make many girls suppress their own personality and individuality in a coed academic setting. Left to their own devices, girls will take on challenging math and science subjects and engage wholeheartedly in serious sports - all things girls aren't supposed to like.
Competition Is a Good Thing
Girls will ignore gender stereotypes and develop their competitive side more fully in a single sex academic setting. There are no boys to impress. They don't have to worry about being called tomboys. Their peers understand what's happening. Everybody feels comfortable being themselves.
Laying Foundations for Leadership
Women have made significant advances in the leadership arena. Geraldine Ferraro ran for the office of Vice-President of the United States. Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice have been Secretary of State. Golda Meir was Premier of Israel. Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of England and so on. Carleton Fiorina was CEO of Hewlett-Packard. These excellent achievements notwithstanding, women still find it difficult rising to senior positions in any endeavor. Why? Because girls lack inspiring role models and appealing presentation of critical subjects like math, technology and science which give men the competitive edge in their career paths. Skilled teachers who understand girls and the way they learn can kindle a girl's interest in non-traditional subjects. They can encourage a young lady to dream outside of the box and want a career as a captain of industry as opposed to just being a teacher or a nurse.
A girls' school can help your daughter be all she can be simply by encouraging and nurturing her. Everything is possible. Nothing is off limits.
Resources
Find Girls' Schools here. The Benefits of Attending a Girls' School is one of many excellent articles on the National Coalition of Girls' Schools site. The National Association For Single Sex Public Education enriches the debate with some compelling research. The Bromley Brook School for Girls makes a great case in its Philosophy article.
