The Myth of Girls' "Success" in School

Abstract

The apparent equality between girls and boys in the classroom conceals the different historic trajectories marked by unequal gender relationships whose presence – albeit subtle- can still be felt. There is some suspicion that behind the argument in support of “the academic success of girls” lies the concern of those who profess the idea –many more than those who talk about it- that the best way women can serve society (maternity, raising children, taking care of the family and household chores in general) could be undermined by their professional success. And this is a topic that takes on a new dimension when situations of economic crises demand strong family support to deal with social poverty. This article discusses the contributions made by feminists to understand what is meant by “success”, a task we consider to be of high priority to refute some of the assumptions which, like this one, are trying to prevent equal education.