It appears that we are witnessing a troubling decline in the presence of all-girl schools. The recent removal of VAT exemption for private educational institutions has placed many independent schools at risk of closure, and girls’ schools, in particular, seem to be facing unprecedented challenges. As reported by The Daily Telegraph, girls’ schools are less likely to benefit from generous alumni support or robust historical endowments, primarily because they have not been established as long as their male counterparts.
As a devoted state-school educator, I don’t mourn the dissolution of a two-tiered education system that reinforces the class divide in our society. However, the diminishing number of private girls’ schools raises important questions about the continued relevance and necessity of girls-only education more broadly.
Critics argue that in our contemporary society, girls’ schools are outdated and may even reinforce patriarchal norms. The somewhat antiquated notion of shielding delicate young girls from the supposed dangers of boys, while molding them into refined young women by the age of eighteen, is hardly the rationale most parents consider when choosing a school for their children.
Yet, as a proud alumna of a (very much non-private) girls’ school, and someone who has taught in various environments where boys were merely a rumor beyond the school gates, I firmly believe that girls’ schools are essential.
Of course, there are statistics to back this up. Research shows that girls tend to perform better academically in single-sex environments. However, girls’ schools offer something far more valuable than just academic excellence—they provide a sanctuary for young women to exist freely in a world that often judges, controls, hypersexualizes, and maligns them from the moment they are born.
It’s challenging to articulate if you haven’t experienced it yourself, but a girls’ school feels like an alternate universe. It’s a place where you can comfortably shout, “Does anyone have a sanitary towel?” in the middle of a French lesson, unburdened by any shame associated with natural bodily functions. Here, you can perform a dance routine at the Christmas concert without the fear of lewd remarks from classmates, or apply your eyeliner during math class—not to impress a boy named Callum, but simply because you feel like it. In this environment, every text is analyzed through a feminist lens, the “female perspective” is the norm, and women’s contributions to history are acknowledged as integral parts of our shared narrative.
Most importantly, within the confines of their gates, girls come to believe that they can achieve anything. The football champions, the math geniuses, the Oxbridge candidates, and even the class clowns are all girls. Girls’ schools provide a nurturing space where young women can spend their formative years away from the relentless male gaze, insulated from the macho culture that often infiltrates classrooms and teaches them to diminish themselves before they are even fully grown.
Of course, like any other educational setting, girls’ schools are not immune to the universal challenges of adolescence, such as bullying, friendship conflicts, and mental health struggles.
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There is also the argument that mixed-gender classrooms foster a more balanced and dynamic learning environment that better mirrors the real world. However, based on my experiences teaching in both single-sex and coeducational schools, I have observed that girls in single-sex environments often appear not only happier but also more liberated. They seem to maintain a youthful spirit and are unafraid to take up space.
In contrast, I have seen firsthand how exhausting it can be for girls to navigate the complexities of adolescence while surrounded by teenage boys who have absorbed toxic ideals from figures like Andrew Tate and others. In mixed schools, girls are subjected to a continuous onslaught of judgments. From a young age, they are labeled as either a “slut” or “frigid,” pressured to share intimate photos, or dismissed for their looks, facing sexual harassment and messages that reinforce outdated gender roles.
Before I am branded a misandrist, let me clarify that I do not believe that teenage boys are inherently problematic. My advocacy for girls’ schools is not a call for segregation from birth to adulthood but rather a plea for the preservation of these spaces during secondary education. We cannot ignore the reality—that a generation of young men has been adversely affected by a pervasive culture of toxic masculinity.
The truth is that teenage girls require protection from the toxic impact of our misogynistic culture just as much as boys need safeguarding from becoming its perpetuators. Until we can eliminate violent misogyny from our society, maintaining girls’ schools is one of the most effective ways to ensure their safety and empowerment.
Nadeine Asbali is a secondary-school teacher in London
