Viewpoint

Historically, there have been two main reasons given for gender specific education. First, that boys and girls have "different destinies" or have "different abilities" and so needed to be educated completely apart from one another at different campus locations, different buildings, and different curriculum. The second was that boys and girls needed to be kept apart so that they could remain "pure."

Neither of these reasons are our belief or justification for gender specific instruction. We believe boys and girls are capable of equal achievement in any subject, whether it is art or algebra. We believe girls and boys are equally capable of success and leadership. This is why our curriculum makes no distinction between genders; boys and girls are both held to the same high academic standards, receive the same quality instruction and their formation is directed to the same end: the formation of Christian leaders. It is, in fact, because we want girls and boys to both equally excel in our curriculum and formative program that we offer the benefits of gender specific education. The fact that boys and girls are different does not mean they need different educations; it means that they need to be educated differently if they are to achieve the same standards.

We also do not believe that boys and girls will be 'pure' just because they are kept apart. We believe that boys and girls will make the right choices in freedom and in charity when they have had the opportunity to be confident in themselves and properly formed. It is precisely that confidence and formation that a gender specific environment helps us create.