Education and Gender

Does the educational system shortchange females?

Introduction

Two decades after winning battles for equal access, women's activists are seeking reform of what they see as an education system still weighted against females. They point to girls' declining self- esteem, a gender gap on SAT tests and new research showing that girls receive less attention from teachers than boys. Applications to women's colleges have shot up, and some schools are experimenting with girls-only science and math classes. Congress is moving to create a federal Office of Gender Equity and expand programs to train teachers in how to avoid giving girls short shrift. But critics of the gender- equity movement point to recent strides women have made in educational achievement. They warn that efforts to eliminate bias are a futile exercise in “political correctness.”

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