The Benefits of Attending a Girls' School

3 Reasons to Consider a Girls' School

all girls school students

Getty Images / Klaus Vedfelt

Not every student can excel in a coeducational classroom, and that's why many students opt for single-sex schools. When it comes to girls, in particular, these important developmental years can be greatly enhanced by attending the right school. So, what are the benefits of attending a girls' school? Why should your daughter attend a girls' school instead of a coed school?

Girls Schools Empower Students to Excel

Many girls cannot achieve their full potential in a coeducational school. With the impact of peer pressure and the perceived need to conform to popular opinion and thinking, including the desire to be accepted, can all impact girls. These are just some of the reasons which make many girls suppress their own personalities and individuality in a coed academic setting. Left to their own devices in a single-sex environment, girls are often more likely to 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, no boys to compete for between other girls. 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. Hilary Clinton ran for the office of President of the United States. Clinton, 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.

Girls at Single-Sex Schools are More Likely to Excel at Athletics

It's true, and there's research to support this finding. Middle school girls are more likely to engage in competitive athletics than their peers at coed schools. A single-sex environment often feels empowering to students, especially girls, and encourages them to try new things. When boys aren't around, girls are more likely to take a risk and try something new. 

Girls Schools are Inspirational Learning and Living Environments

Until you've actually spent time at an all-girls school, it's hard to fully appreciate the environment of encouragement and inspiration that is created. When a school is limited to only educating girls, the pedagogy changes, and the science behind how a female brain works and how girls grow and mature all become part of the core educational paths set forth for students. Students report feeling more free to speak and express themselves, which leads to a stronger development of a love of learning. 

Girls Schools may Offer More Opportunities to Succeed

According to the National Coalition of Girls Schools, nearly 80% of girls school students report feeling challenged to the point of achieving their full potential, and more than 80% of graduates from all-girls schools report that they consider their academic performance as highly successful. Students enrolled in these single-sex environments also report having more confidence than their peers at coeducational institutions. Some even report that their college professors can spot an all-girls school graduate.

An all-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

Article edited by Stacy Jagodowski

Format
mla apa chicago
Your Citation
Kennedy, Robert. "The Benefits of Attending a Girls' School." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/benefits-of-attending-girls-school-2774631. Kennedy, Robert. (2020, August 28). The Benefits of Attending a Girls' School. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/benefits-of-attending-girls-school-2774631 Kennedy, Robert. "The Benefits of Attending a Girls' School." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/benefits-of-attending-girls-school-2774631 (accessed March 19, 2024).