Recently, educators in the ICGS community heard from Dr. Nicole Archard, Principal at Loreto Kirribilli in Sydney, Australia. The conversation was the latest in our bimonthly Inside the ICGS Network series, which brings together educators from over 580 girls’ schools across 25 countries. With a PhD in Girls’ Education, Women and Leadership, Dr. Archard grounded her discussion in her philosophy of the purposeful education of girls. 

Dr. Archard started her career working at a boys’ school that welcomed girls in the upper years. Observing that environment led her to devote her life to girls’ education. Today, she is a mother of three daughters, a grandmother of three granddaughters, and has worked in five girls’ schools in New South Wales and South Australia.

Throughout her career, Dr. Archard has focused on life outcomes for women. She asks,

“How can the experiences that we have in a girls’ environment actually help develop women to be able to move into leadership roles?"

One answer is found in the purposeful education of girls — the idea that girls’ schools are not just girls’ schools because of sex and gender, but because they have purposeful curricula, language, and activities. Much of the work done in girls’ schools is about developing a self-concept: How do girls identify? What are their beliefs and values? What do they think they can do or not do, based on the gender stereotypes around them?

Ultimately, Dr. Archard believes girls’ schools instill confidence and a sense of self-efficacy. She reminded educators of the popular refrain, “You can’t be what you can’t see,” referring to the need for women role models in leadership position. She adds another layer: “You can’t be what you don’t believe.” Girls must believe they have the capacity to fill leadership roles or to work in STEM, for example. Too often, gender stereotypes prohibit their equal participation.

“If a student doesn’t believe they’re going to be successful, then they won’t apply themselves. If they don’t believe they’re going to be voted in by their friends into a leadership role, then they won’t put their hand up. And you can see how that just flows on to multiple areas in education, in life outcomes, etc.” 

Girls’ schools are powerfully combatting such gender stereotypes every day. With intention and purpose, they assign texts with female role models, include women in the study of history, and allow girls access to all leadership roles. Girls then feel more confident and capable of taking on subjects that are traditionally more “male,” such as physics and high-level sciences and math. “Without girls’ schools, we won’t get the equality in society that we’re striving for,” Dr. Archard explains.

If you’d like to be part of the conversation, we’ll hope you’ll join us for a future Inside the ICGS Network session, open to all educators at ICGS member schools.