Girl’s Education

The Ursuline High School in Wimbledon  is celebrating its25th anniversary this academic year.  125 years of  excellent education for girls.   As part of the celebrations a reception was held at the House Of Lords, generously hosted by Baroness Margaret McDonagh.  The event was held to thank the very many, many people whose hard work has made the Ursuline the outstanding school it is today; Ursuline Sisters, priests and the Diocese, previous Headteachers,  Governors, senior leaders, Local Authority Councillors and leaders, our local MPs Stephen Hammond and Siobhain Mc Donagh and members of the Parents’ Association. 

As Headgirl at the Ursuline,  I spoke at the evening on a topic which was important to everyone  in the room, as well as so many others around the world; Girl’s Education.

There are so many reasons that girls need the very best possible education, but in particular, they need it to give them the confidence and ability to fight the  sexism that  still being experienced by many of us in  2017.  Our generation of young women still have so many barriers to overcome when it comes to to acheive equality. We should be able to stand as equals in England and all over the world, but women are still discriminated against every day. Some of the statistics may shock you.

 Today in the House of Commons, only 29% of MPs are women and only 24% of peers in the House of Lords. This is a record  high, but it is still nowhere near good enough. Not only this, but men also take up 76% of all Science Technology Engineering and maths careers, as we are informed by Personnel Today online, leaving women with only 24% of these jobs . The pay gap is another problem that so many people discuss, but little changes. Women currently only earn 84 pence of every pound earned by a man, as we are told by the Women’s Equality Party.

 At the  House of Lords guests heard from Headteacher Julia Waters and Baroness Mc Donagh who celebrated the achievements Ursuline Students and the impact of  of excellent girls’ education. But the evening  also highlighted that there is still work for all women of my generation -changes that we still need to make. This is for our future, and for the future of all young men and women all around the world. Let’s teach all young men and women about equality. Then the next generation can live as they should, side by side as equals.

Madeleine Mamak, Ursuline High School