To think that this school advert is sexist?

[babynumber3eek]

Having scrolled through my Facebook feed this morning I spotted an advert for a local and prestigious private girls school, extolling the virtues of their sixth form and the percentages for Oxbridge and RG university entries and offers. Nothing too shocking in that, until you reach the last sentence - 'Not too bad for a girls school in X location'...

Am I being unreasonable to be horrified at the suggestion that they should be somehow congratulated for getting GIRLS into University? I was horrified at the subtle sexism the advert promotes - my eldest two daughters went to private all girls schools and nothing like this would have come out of their marketing teams! I find an institution that is there to educate women using such a derogatory last sentence bizarre and offensive on behalf of their students and the rest of us mere womenfolk!

I left a comment saying such on the advert. Was ABU?

YANBU
"...a school in X location" would have sufficed!

Well if you felt so horrified you were perfectly entitled to respond.

Seems a bit strange to me and I can't imagine why their marketing team thought that was a good idea.

But horrified?

Urgh. How very grim. A certain type of sexism that's hard to combat.

See now I read that as a dig at other people who may have that attitude rather than them meaning it literally IYSWIM. Ill advised though even so.

This is grim. Is this Essex? Are they trying to counteract the stereotype?

Compounding the stereotype there Leonardo....

I wonder if it's sort of ill-advised nod to all the doubters. Sort of, you thought we couldn't do this because we're girls and are from X area.
I know when dd got into a great uni I had a lot of eye raises, people who were that she, a girl, from X comprehensive, could achieve that.
It doesn't come across well written, and obviously is open to misinterpretation, but I think spoken aloud you can hear how they might be saying it.
I'm not sure I've explained myself well but I really can't imagine a good school, girls school, making their students feel they are 2nd rate.

It's a more a derogatory comment about the area it's in ie 'look at us doing well in this slum hole' rather than 'look girls can be clever'.

Yanbu, but I'd be more pissed off as a parent who couldn't afford to send my child to X school in Y area and whose child is therefore doomed not only to failure, but the smug mockery of the privileged elite.

It's sexist and derogatory to 'X location'. It might as well say 'the local population are mostly thickos who will only be fit for low, paid low skilled work if they don't go to this school'.

Certainly is Caramel

School has dropped a clanger here

I think the nasty snobbery about the location is almost worse than the casual misogyny. It's a close run thing though. They do the same baffling thing on TV talent shows. 'Who would have thought a girl from Wigan/Barry/Kidderminster could sing like that?' because we all know that anyone outside of the M25 needs only use their voice to shout 'Large chips and a kabab with gravy'.

Do women statisticly make up 50% of these top university? I'don't pressume that's what they would be addressing. That women have historicly faced discrimination within higher education, especially oxbridge & red bricks, and that their school was enabling girls to fight against this discrimination that still exists within the ol' boys club institutions? Same when women get into stem. And it's common sense that certain private schools have a much easier time of access these and certain areas are much more disadvantaged due to stigma.

WobblyLegs5: They do. That's why the advert sounds so depressing - it's not the '50s!

I read it as being a dig at people who made assumptions about girls and the area.

Probably a rural area? It's a dig at all the sexist traditional types out there. But obviously too subtle, as you didn't get it. And others won't. So a failure as a marketing strategy.

It's not a rural area, it's Bristol. A city well known for its private schools AND RG university.

Yes, horrified was the word I used (twice- it was 7am and I have a young baby ). Horrified that in this day and age people still send out subtle (or not) messages that girls aren't as capable of achieving in whatever respect as boys. If you'd replaced 'girls' with the name of an ethnic minority/ religion or disability then I very much doubt anyone would have published the advert, so why do it with gender? Made more awful by the fact that their whole existence is to promote the achievement of these girls!

I think you misread their emphasis. Research shows that girls consistently perform better in single sex schools hence I would read their strap-line as being critical of their location (not a comment on the sex of their pupils).
In fact, from my perspective (former pupil of a single sex school) I find it odd that you jumped to an inherent criticism of girls.
The fact that you did proves it's a rubbish advert because it's ambiguous.

That's not what the ad is saying, you have misunderstood.

Can you find it again and link to the advert?

I'd be more concerned that they are denigrating the loction, as though the people there aren't considered good enough to do x, y, z.

If it is called a girls school, is it really such a surprise that they call the students girls?

I don't think they are doing that either, it's a (too) subtle dig at anyone who judges the area or the sex of students.

I read it as being a dig at people who made assumptions about girls and the area

This.

Is it Badminton? If so a bit of ironic self deprecating?

Yeah, it's Badminton. You've also deliver missed off the bit after which gives context. The full text is:

#internationalwomensday
12% Oxbridge offers in 2017.
83% went on to study at Russell Group Universities in 2016.
Placed second in The Sunday Times top independent schools in the South West.

Not bad for an all girls school in Bristol. Educating and inspiring female leaders of the future.

Given the context it's quite clear that it is a reference to people who don't think girls can do things and that it's not a SE based school. It's also a bit of self depreciation.

Come on OP, this isn't about sexism is it? You just want to give Badminton a kicking because it's Badminton.