Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that this school advert is sexist?

74 replies

babynumber3eek · 10/03/2017 07:34

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?

OP posts:
Original poster
babynumber3eek · 10/03/2017 09:22

I suspect it was written as a 'clever' dig but it sadly doesn't read well!

I went to an all girls grammar school. Two of my daughters were educated in all girls private schools. In theory I'm their target audience. If I'm turned off by it then it wasn't clever marketing!

They've responded to my Facebook comments offering to show me around and pointing out that they are proud of their girls achievements especially as a 'small £30k a year school'...

OP posts:
NSEA · 10/03/2017 09:23

I read it as an attack on sexism in the area. Not encouraging it.

Original poster
babynumber3eek · 10/03/2017 09:23

And no, I have absolutely nothing against either Badminton or any other private school- as already stated!

OP posts:
NSEA · 10/03/2017 09:25

Having seen the full ad it definitely isn't sexism.

Original poster
babynumber3eek · 10/03/2017 09:26

That isn't actually the full text of the advert- there was no #international Women's day tag on it! If there had been then maybe the 'irony' would have been apparent!

OP posts:
Original poster
babynumber3eek · 10/03/2017 09:27

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...

This was the entire text...

OP posts:
IamFriedSpam · 10/03/2017 09:39

I don't see how the full ad makes it better. I might be missing something but why is it not bad for an all girls school in Bristol? It doesn't make sense to me. Is it meant to be ironic, it doesn't come across well at all.

highinthesky · 10/03/2017 09:40

Girls are held back in life, fact. If there was genuine equality it wouldn't be the case.

So the point could have been made better, but YABU.

midcenturymodern · 10/03/2017 09:44

I don't see how the full ad makes it better. I might be missing something but why is it not bad for an all girls school in Bristol? It doesn't make sense to me. Is it meant to be ironic, it doesn't come across well at all

Me neither. Is it an in joke? If it is it's hardly a good advert for prospective parents.

BitOutOfPractice · 10/03/2017 10:00

I think they are trying to point out that fewer girls than boys get into RG unis that boys. But I think they've been rather clumsy in expressing it and ended up looking sexist themselves. Very poorly worded.

TheStoic · 10/03/2017 10:17

It is a dig. Wink wink nudge nudge.

I can't believe you don't understand that. Did it really go completely over your head?

Original poster
babynumber3eek · 10/03/2017 10:36

Oh TheStoic. Thanks for implying that I'm a tad slow. Really not the case but you'll have to take my word on it - or I could send you my university degree certs?! If it had been published with the hash tag on it then maybe I'd have thought it was (ill thought out) irony. Without it, it's a punch line without a joke and therefore offensive. Have you swapped 'girl' for 'Muslim', 'black' or 'autistic'? Stop ignoring sexism as a joke - or do you appreciate comedians like Jim Davidson?!

OP posts:
CecilyP · 10/03/2017 10:45

I don't see it so much as sexism, more as a belief that we are still in the 1950's whilst they are congratulating themselves on being ahead of the game. I don't think it has gone over the OP's head; it really doesn't read well and it doesn't sound clever. If you change it to what it is and state, 'not bad for an expensive, selective girls school which also offers boarding facilities', it doesn't make any sense at all.

WorraLiberty · 10/03/2017 10:48

I read it as an attack on sexism in the area. Not encouraging it.

Yep, same here.

I think it's really quite obvious it's a dig at sexism.

GrumpyOldBag · 10/03/2017 10:48

meh.

It wouldn't offend me. And I went to another expensive all girls school in the West country.

mummytime · 10/03/2017 10:50

I was pretty horrified a few years ago, when a local Boys school had the same "white, blonde haired, blue eyed" boy in every photo in their ads. It is actually a pretty inclusive place - but obviously no one had noticed...

Ad agencies can be a bit crap.

fruityb · 10/03/2017 10:50

I'd see it as a dig to the doubters. Like I've said to people "not bad for..." when people have doubted me.

WorraLiberty · 10/03/2017 10:51

Oh TheStoic. Thanks for implying that I'm a tad slow. Really not the case but you'll have to take my word on it - or I could send you my university degree certs?!

See, that ^^ could read as offensive, even though I'm sure you didn't mean any offense by it.

It could imply that you think anyone without a degree, is 'tad slow' (whatever that means).

It's all down to personal interpretation really, isn't it?

CecilyP · 10/03/2017 10:57

I'd see it as a dig to the doubters. Like I've said to people "not bad for..." when people have doubted me.

But why would anyone doubt? If it is a top independent school, why would it be a surprise that the girls do well?

WorraLiberty · 10/03/2017 11:01

Because of the area I expect, CecilyP

Original poster
babynumber3eek · 10/03/2017 11:07

Because of the area? A leafy uber middle class area of (I believe) the second most expensive housing city in the UK?!

Yes. Such a surprise that CHILDREN from there could do well...

OP posts:
CecilyP · 10/03/2017 11:10

That still makes no sense, it is simply a school in England's 6th largest city. Is it in a rough part of Bristol? Even if it is, it won't be taking girls from the local catchment, will it?

IamFriedSpam · 10/03/2017 11:11

I can't believe you don't understand that. Did it really go completely over your head?

Yes completely. I'm still at a bit of a loss, I thought girls tended to do better than boys at A-level and isn't Bristol quite an affluent area? So what is the joke in reference to?

CecilyP · 10/03/2017 11:12

Cross-post, so even in a nice part of Bristol!

TheStoic · 10/03/2017 11:14

Stop ignoring sexism as a joke - or do you appreciate comedians like Jim Davidson?!

Oh dear. It's laughing at sexism. It's not joining in with sexism.

Swipe left for the next trending thread