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For Girls Only: Making a Case for Single-Sex Schooling

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This book addresses the issues related to gender that girls are confronted with in a school setting. These issues include diminished self-esteem that girls often experience in early adolescence, diminished academic performance in math and science, and intimidation and sexual harassment by the other sex in or outside the classroom. All girl schools may provide environments for girls free of intimidation and competition with the other sex. Here, girls can thrive, be more self-confident, improve their self-esteem, and achieve better academic performance in subjects typically considered male oriented, like science and math.

Janice Streimatter gives, first a brief overview of the history, policy, and recent research done on girls-only schools. Streitmatter then presents a summary of interviews with educators and girls from all girl schools and all girl classes from different socioeconomic backgrounds. These interviews prove to be particularly powerful in establishing a need for such schools. Finally, tha author raises some questions regarding the legal aspects of single-sex schooling.

Title IX calls for equal access and participation in school regardless of gender. While this law was intended to create equality for both sexes in school, the reality is much different. Classrooms remain places where males are dominant and females feel less than equal. Hence, some feel the need to create public all-girl schools and classes. Such schools, however, would represent a violation of public law. The author clearly states that the development of such schools must be acknowledged as legitimate at the federal level. This crucial step, she suggests, should be followed by the appropriate training of students, parents, teachers, and administrators regarding gender equality.

In short, "For Girls Only" deals with a controversial topic and presents a good argument for all girl schools.