LECTURE SUMMARY 1

In this lecture, Dr. Mary Frosch mentions two main issues: the criticisms against all-girl schools and the
advantages of single-sex education for girls. Firstly, she points out some arguments which say that the
segregation of sexes is obsolete and goes against the purposes of feminists and liberal educators.
Besides, critics claim that in single-sex schools, boys and girls have little chance to interact and contend
with each other. Moreover, the children are not given the smooth transition into the real adult world
where both sexes work and live together as a whole. Despite those powerful arguments, Dr. Mary
expresses her firm belief in single-sex education by listing two following benefits. To begin with, she
affirms that all-girl education values girls’ unique qualities which differ them from boys. Girls tend to
focus more on higher-level, abstract thinking and are great companions in group working since they are
often cooperative. Furthermore, single-sex education boosts girls’ self-esteem. Dr. Mary believes that
girls are more self-confident without the distraction of the opposite sex. To conclude, she states that
girls can turn the adult world into a place that fits everyone.