by Claire Mcloughlin

Created on: September 07, 2008

I personally spent five years at an all girl's private grammar school in England. Did I learn the difference between right and wrong? Yes. Did I recieve a good set of GCSEs? Yes. Did I learn how to conceal the fact that I went jogging three times a day and only ate a bannana? Yes. Did I see countless of friends crack under the extreme pressure? Yes. Did nearly half the girls in my small school end up pregant or addicted to cigarettes or drugs within months of leaving the school? Yes.

Education is about so much more than what you learn in the classrooms. Honestly, do you remember the ins and outs of projectile motion, do you remember exactly what einsteins thoery of quantum relativity is? The answer is probably not. It is those lessons we learnt outside the classrooms which prepared us for the life we now lead. If you do not interact with boys, they become a foreign species, something that we do not understand. You do not know how to talk to boys, even the boys you just want to be friends with. Its a skill that most kids know, it may seem a simple life skill, but in reality it's quite a complex skill, knowing that fine line between having a laugh and flirting, understanding when a boy likes you or when he just sees you as a friend and no more.

Normally an all-girl's school is private, and normally has an entrance exam that every girl must pass if she wishes to attend. This leads to a very competitive enviroment, which is great for those people who are extremely clever, sporty and musical. But what about those students who are, by that school's standards 'average', or even worse 'below average', this can lead to those students feeling stupid and worthless, and these feelings can be very difficult to overcome, if they are ever overcome.

Yet another down side to this education enviroment, is the social aspect, the students will probably come from all around the county, so unless you don't mind driving 30 minutes or so to drop your child off at their friends house, only to pick them up a few hours later. Your child won't be able just to call up their friends and drop round when they're feeling a little bored during the long summer holidays private schools often have, meeting up with friends will take organisation and planning.

After finishing my GCSE's I did my A-levels at my local comprehensive, did I learn to eat senisbly? Yes. Did I have friends that lived withing walking distance? Yes. Did I get good A-levels? Yes. Was I fully prepared for university? Yes. And most importantly did I have the time of my life? Yes.

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