The Advantages of an All-Girls Education

The debate over single-sex education existed long before schools like Harvard were integrated in the late 1970's, and it continues today, especially with a new societal focus on what "gender" truly means. This debate is particularly relevant in cities like Louisville where there are several same-sex schools for both women and men. As a graduate of one of these schools, I firmly believe that the single-sex education of women is crucial to their independence and confidence. As a school of Mercy, Assumption High School's values are derived from Sister Catherine McAuley, a devoted Irish Catholic nun who believed in creating equal opportunities for women. To fulfill her mission, Catherine created schools for women, saying, "No work of charity can be more productive to society than the careful instruction of women." Through her passion, schools like my alma mater, Assumption, were born.

Assumption High School takes young ladies who are already confident, strong, and independent, and turns them into capable, convincing, and amazing leaders. Where many private schools preach conformity, Assumption encourages its students to find themselves, whether it's through retreats, clubs, sports, or academics. The faculty and staff at Assumption truly want their students to succeed, and while that success is crucial to their mission, the core of Assumption is compassion. Assumption is more than just a school: it's a community, a family, a sisterhood.

Recalling a time in her childhood where she was able to play any part she wanted in Peter Pan because the group was solely composed of girls, writer Julia Pierpont says, "There were no boys in the group that day, and so, like water, we girls filled the new space we'd been given." When girls are allowed to act, think, learn, play, and simply be on their own, the results are empowering. If we remove men from the equation, girls are allowed to be whatever they want without worrying about men trying to dominate their space. Single-sex education creates a unique space for women where they do not have to be afraid to learn, speak, or participate. No other place in the world could serve as such a safe haven for women in a society that constantly degrades and dehumanizes them. Girls in a single-sex school are not forced to keep their heads down to avoid cat-calling, and they are not forced to forgo their interests because of a man. Rather, all-girls schooling encourages leadership, integrity, respect, compassion, and excellence. Single-sex schools create an environment that empowers young women to be wise, intelligent, and compassionate leaders who can change the world.

Opponents of same sex education argue that it creates stereotypes, increases misogyny, and leads to a decrease in the number of women in STEAM-related careers. However, educating young women in an environment where they are able to visualize themselves as leaders, unafraid of being devalued or ridiculed by men, is a crucial way in which they discover the paths they are meant to follow. While many believe that women who learn how to be leaders separate from men are not being exposed to "real world" situations, they are actually experiencing what it is like to be independent from men and learning that women are full of valuable, intelligent, and complex thoughts. In the absence of men, women are able to share their ideas freely, and they will bring that freedom into their future careers, even when men are present.

Assumption and other all-girls institutions teach young women how to be strong, compassionate leaders, unafraid of being dehumanized by men. It is in these environments that women are able to experience success as well as what it feels like to be valued and respected. All-girls institutions teach women to think creatively and lead courageously, inspiring a future wherein women are educated, treated, and paid as equals.