Feminists examine how education systems can both challenge and reinforce gender inequalities. While education has the potential to liberate and empower women, feminists argue that schools often reproduce traditional gender roles and stereotypes that limit girls' opportunities.
Key Definitions:
Women's access to education has been a long struggle throughout history. Understanding this background helps us appreciate why feminist perspectives on education are so important.
Before the 19th century, formal education was largely denied to girls and women in the UK. Education was seen as unnecessary for females, whose primary roles were expected to be wives and mothers. The 1870 Education Act made elementary education compulsory for all children, but higher education remained largely closed to women until the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Women gained increasing access to universities in the late 19th century, though many institutions didn't award degrees to women until the 20th century. The 1944 Education Act established free secondary education for all, regardless of gender. By the 1970s, most educational institutions had become co-educational and the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act made it illegal to discriminate against either sex in education.
Despite formal equality in access to education, feminists identify continuing problems in how education systems treat boys and girls differently and reinforce gender stereotypes.
Feminists argue that the curriculum itself is gendered in several important ways:
Girls are still underrepresented in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Boys are less likely to study languages, arts and humanities. These choices reflect and reinforce gender stereotypes about 'natural' abilities.
Textbooks and learning resources often contain gender bias. Male characters may appear more frequently, in more active roles and in a wider range of occupations than female characters. Historical and literary figures studied are predominantly male.
Teachers may unconsciously have different expectations of boys and girls. For example, they might expect boys to be better at maths and science and girls to be better at reading and writing, which can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The hidden curriculum refers to the unwritten, unofficial lessons that schools teach. Feminists argue that the hidden curriculum often reinforces traditional gender roles:
Recent statistics from the Department for Education show that in A-level choices, girls are still significantly underrepresented in Physics (only 23% of entries), Computing (15%) and Further Mathematics (28%). Meanwhile, boys make up only 30% of English Literature students, 32% of Psychology students and 28% of Sociology students. These patterns continue into higher education and ultimately contribute to occupational segregation in the workforce.
Not all feminists agree on the causes of or solutions to gender inequality in education. There are several different feminist approaches:
Focus: Equal opportunities and removing barriers
View on education: Believes in reforming the current education system to ensure equal access and treatment for girls.
Solutions: Anti-discrimination laws, gender-neutral teaching materials, encouraging girls into STEM subjects.
Focus: Patriarchy and male domination
View on education: Sees schools as institutions that reproduce male power and female subordination.
Solutions: Some advocate single-sex education to empower girls away from male influence; challenging the male-dominated curriculum.
Focus: Capitalism and class alongside gender
View on education: Education prepares girls for exploitative roles both at work and in the home.
Solutions: Radical restructuring of society and education to address both class and gender inequalities.
Since the 1990s, girls have been outperforming boys in most subjects at GCSE and A-level. This has led to concerns about 'failing boys' and questions about whether feminism is still relevant to education. Feminists respond that:
Despite progress, feminists identify several ongoing issues in education:
Feminist approaches to improving gender equality in education include:
Strengths: Feminist approaches have highlighted important issues in education that were previously ignored. They've contributed to significant improvements in girls' educational opportunities and achievement.
Criticisms: Some argue that feminism now focuses too much on girls when boys are underachieving. Others suggest that liberal feminist approaches don't go far enough in challenging fundamental power structures. Some question whether gender differences in subject choice reflect discrimination or simply different interests.
Feminist perspectives on education help us understand how schools can both challenge and reinforce gender inequalities. While there has been significant progress in girls' access to education and academic achievement, gendered patterns in subject choice and the hidden curriculum continue to shape students' educational experiences and future opportunities. By examining these issues, we can work towards an education system that truly provides equal opportunities for all students regardless of gender.
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