Following a report in The Times regarding single-sex and co-ed schools, Our Headmistress Jane Gandee wrote a letter to the newspaper which has been published today.
Sir, Further to your report (“Single-sex schools rush to go co-ed in fight to keep pupils”, Nov 27), I would like to echo the remarks of Donna Stevens, head of the Girls’ Schools Association. Children, rather than convenience or economic considerations, should be at the heart of this debate. A single-sex environment facilitates both boys and girls opting for subjects and activities without tedious gender pressures and stereotypes being brought to bear.
For girls, this means a far greater percentage opting for science, technology, computer science and maths. Additionally, research shows that girls educated in girls’ schools have just as much self-confidence as boys, bucking national trends. As the median gender pay gap (7.7 per cent) shows, there remains much to be done, and girls’ schools can play a vital role in developing resilient young women who are ready to play a full part in areas where women are still under-represented such as AI, engineering and politics.
Jane Gandee
Headmistress, St Swithun’s School, Winchester
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