The MLC difference in building confidence

Girls’ schools make up just 2 percent of all schools in Australia, and yet they consistently produce women who excel across a diverse range of careers, including politics, medicine, science, sport, and law.  

At MLC, we are proud to count among our alumnae Lara Giddings (1990), Tasmania’s first female premier, Dr Clare Looker (1998), Victorian Chief Health Officer, and Annabel Sutherland (2019), Australian cricketer, as just a few examples of the countless MLC graduates who have made important contributions in their chosen field. 

So, what do girls’ schools do differently from co-ed schools that gives young women the tools and motivation they need to succeed, particularly in male-dominated industries? 

“To put it simply, in an all girls’ school, 100 percent of student leadership positions go to girls,” says MLC Principal, Julia Shea. “At MLC, because we have such a diversity of student leadership positions on offer as a result of our commitment to breadth of experience in our education, all girls can find an opportunity to hone their strengths. 

“But it’s more than just leadership opportunities; girls’ schools are inspiring communities that help girls to develop and maintain confidence and healthy self-belief. The distribution of student leadership roles supports this, but also the plethora of positive female role models that girls’ schools provide, from ‘Big Sisters’ in Year 11 who guide the Year 7s, to our alumnae who provide mentorship to past and present students. 

“Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President of the Children’s Defense Fund who has spent more than 50 years advocating for vulnerable children in America, famously said, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Girls’ schools address the historical dearth of strong role models for young women by actively raising up students to important leadership positions.”

It’s not surprising then that a study by the University of Queensland found that confidence levels for girls in single-sex schools match that of boys, while girls in co-ed environments consistently demonstrate lower confidence scores. "I would go as far as to say that girls’ schools provide girls with a much-needed head start in a world where gender norms and expectations are still often stacked against them,” says Julia. 

Across all metrics, girls’ school students display higher levels of confidence, classroom participation, gender-atypical subject selection, and, after graduation, improved health and career outcomes. “We can try to put our finger on what exactly drives girls’ school students to perform better, but I suspect it comes down to community. Girls’ schools like MLC are incredible places for girls and young women; they are supportive, exciting, and provide just the right amount of challenge to expand their horizons. They are places where lifelong friends are found and where passions and interests are nurtured. There’s no one saying girls can’t do something. There’s nothing holding them back.”