Throughout the years, the topic of an all-girls education has always been one to draw mixed opinions. By exploring the different perspectives of different students and educators, a better understanding of people’s feelings can be grasped.
“At an all-girls school, the education is truly built around how girls learn” and by understanding how girls learn best, Baldwin’s ability to “design educational experiences that reflect that have proven to increase knowledge and understanding in girls” said the Head of School and parent of a Baldwin student, Mrs. Lynne Macziewski.
Additionally, “many girls in co-ed schools don’t necessarily feel comfortable or build their confidence in a way that we do see in all-girls schools” and an important statistic is that “confidence is a better predictor of success than IQ” , said Mrs. Macziewski.
By learning confidently, girls can have the courage to go on to college and past that to accomplish great things. Being at an all-girls school for many students takes away any feelings of embarrassment or self-consciousness because one is strictly there to learn and not have to necessarily worry about the perceptions people may have of them.
Dani Loveman 27’ agrees with many of the points made by Mrs. Macziewski because an all-girls education “offers an enriching opportunity for girls to learn among peers who understand and accept them” Loveman said.
Additionally, Nava Khojasteh concurred with this point as she claimed she feels safer to be the person she is in an all-girls environment.
Conversely, Remi Feldman 27’ argued the opposite believing coeducational schools offer better experiences.
Many agree with this point claiming that co-ed schools offer more traditional social experiences and simulate a more real-world environment where a person learns alongside both girls and boys.
Harper Lawson 27’ connected to Feldman’s point that while the experience at an all-girls school has been a good one so far, it would not be something she sent her kids to, she explained.
This further illustrates the differing opinions people have regarding the social aspect of an all-girls school versus a co-ed one.
As society continues to grow and evolve, an all-girls education has become more valuable in 2024 according to Mrs. Macziewski. “We see a world around us that is becoming more and more divided in many ways and I think having the opportunity to be at an all-girls school, especially Baldwin, where a student is surrounded by peers who share the same love of learning and access to education” is setting up “to create the leaders of tomorrow” and what we see currently is that “leaders around the world are becoming more divided with polarized opinions, thoughts, and ideas and they are not listening to each other and learning from each other, and I think that is something we do really well here at Baldwin. We create the space for girls to share their thoughts and ideas in a confident way and to learn from others so that you can go out and form your own opinions and be confident in who you are and be a leader who can make a long-lasting change” in their community, argued Mrs. Macziewski.
Ultimately, while the subject of the benefits of an all-girls school remains one of controversy and disagreement, reviewing the differing opinions regarding the topics allows people to be more aware of the beliefs surrounding the environment that Baldwin girls reside in.
