There are countless advantages to all-girls schools, but in particular, if your daughter loves science, you may want to consider how an all-female environment could help her achieve her dreams. Here's a look at some of the top reasons budding scientists may be more successful in the long run if they attend a girls' school.
1. High Achievement in Science and Math Is a Mental Game
There is absolutely no intrinsic reason why boys should outperform girls at math and science, but they often do. A lot of this can simply be traced to confidence. Studies show that female students often perceive their ability at math and science to be lower than it really is.
In other words, even girls who test well in these topics often believe that they don't like the subjects or that they aren't skilled at them. That becomes a repeating cycle. If the girls don't feel self confident, they often don't try, or they take another academic direction.
When the boys are removed from the equation, that starts to change. The girls can focus on science and math in their own ways. They aren't comparing themselves to boys in the classroom, and that allows them to shine. Confidence begets more confidence, and all of that translates to a more engaged process in the science classroom.
2. All-Girls Schools Create More Engineers
Girls are often pushed away from engineering programs in particular. Stereotypes about girls say that they aren't good with building or not supposed to work with their hands. For instance, blocks have historically been considered a boy toy while girls should focus on narrative based play such as making up stories for dolls or reading.
Girl's schools have been able to upset this paradigm when it comes to engineering. In fact, a survey of alumnae from single-sex schools shows that these institutions produce three times the number of engineers than mixed gender schools.
3. All-Girls Schools Let Girls Be Serious
By and large, females are expected to inject levity into social situations. To take a classic example, imagine the boys at a school playing a serious game of ball in the school yard. Girls generally don't get involved in these games, or they may kick a ball, giggle and run away. If they take the game seriously, they may be subject to various insults or labels. Women as well are often expected to be the peacemakers or to inject levity into situations.
Again, in a male-free environment, girls don't have to adopt this role unless it naturally suits them. If they are prone to being a serious scientist, they can do that at an all-girls school.
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