It is interesting to note the ratio of female to male enrolments across the different levels of education in Australia. In 2009 for Primary schooling it was 1.01, for Secondary it was 1.02 and for Tertiary it was 1.29 (The Global Gender Gap Report (2009), Ricardo Hausmann et al.) For comparative purposes, the overall ratio of females to males in Australia is 1.02. (3235.0 - Regional Population by Age and Sex, Australia, 2018, Australian Bureau of Statistics). Over the last 10 years, the proportion of women aged 18–64 years who have attained a Bachelor’s Degree or above has increased from 23% to 33%. For men it was 21% to 26%. During this period, the largest increases in attainment for women were for 30–34 year olds (13 percentage points) and for 35–44 year olds (17 percentage points) (4125.0 - Gender Indicators, Australia, Sep 2018, Australian Bureau of Statistics).
This over parity in educational achievement for females is an important result when we consider the long-term effects of education on the lives of girls. Girls with a quality education have better health and economic outcomes. In fact, each extra year of education adds 10% to 25% to a girl’s earning power. Perhaps most significantly, children of educated mothers are more likely to achieve a higher level of education themselves.
Many of the barriers to girls education across the world are fortunately not as relevant to Australia - particularly not to Rockhampton. Excessive travel requirements, poor sanitation and economic status are not significant barriers to accessing education for either gender in 2020. What is interesting however is that the report states that even when there is gender parity in enrolments, there is still often a disparity in education quality. A girls only education is the best way to counter this inequality. When your daughter is educated in a girls only environment, she is guaranteed to be the focus. Girls thrive in learning environments with a strong relational aspect. At Girls Grammar, your daughter is immersed in a supportive environment with significant female and male role models who work closely with all students to ensure they are maximising their potential.
Dr John Fry
Deputy Principal - Studies
The Global Gender Gap Report (2009) Ricardo Hausmann, Harvard University; Laura D. Tyson, University of California, Berkeley; Saadia Zahidi, World Economic Forum) http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2009.pdf
(3235.0 - Regional Population by Age and Sex, Australia, 2018, Australian Bureau of Statistics) https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/3235.0
4125.0 - Gender Indicators, Australia, Sep 2018, Australian Bureau of Statistics) (https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4125.0~Sep%202018~Main%20Features~Education~5