Girls schools: old hat or new hope?

St Mary Star of the Sea College has sat beside South Beach in Wollongong since 1873.  As a convent school established by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, a boarding school, and now a comprehensive girls’ high school; it has always enjoyed a special place in the heart of the people of the Illawarra.

An all girls’ convent school brings images to mind of quiet corridors, habited nuns and a relatively cloistered view of the world.  Nothing could be further from the truth in this vibrant and future-focused college.  The corridors are anything but quiet and the world view is as expansive as the imaginations and spirits of the students and teachers who work here.  We are certainly still Catholic, and we are certainly still traditional; but St Mary’s girls are also ready to engage with the world and face the challenges of life in this century with great confidence.

Volumes of research point to the students being engaged with their learning and with their school environment as critical to achieving lasting learning.  In the same way, a learning environment which is built on quality relationships and academic care allows students the freedom and security to grow and develop.  These are conditions which an all girls’ school can provide.  I am often told by people in the community that you can tell a St Mary’s girl by her confidence and powerful sense of herself.  Not every learning environment can build such confidence.

In recent decades, the world has grown very large for our children; who are as likely to manage their relationships using a computer as using a telephone.  They consume more media and popular culture than their grandparents and parents ever did in a lifetime!  In such a worldly culture, our students appreciate that St Mary’s continues to be a safe place where they can test their thinking, shape their values and learn the critical habits of mind necessary for a life of success.  They can also appreciate that there is an alternative to irresponsible individualism.  This just approach to living is embodied in the College’s values of hospitality, stewardship and peace.

In fact, an all girls’ school is a most radical place; just the recipe for these challenging times.

Teachers at St. Marys understand Academic Care. Click here to read our charter