Thought Leadership and Reflections

Throughout my career, I have taught both secondary and primary school. I have taught at co-educational, all boys and all girls schools. I began my teaching career in a country primary school in Sunbury and then moved to an all-girls secondary boarding school on the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland (FNQ). That boarding school became co-educational in my time there. 

My time teaching at the all-girls in FNQ was life changing. It was run by the Mercy Sisters, and the way they instilled values led curriculum and education to the girls left me in awe at times. Team teaching with nuns allowed me to observe how teaching girls at an all-girls school had a huge upside. It was different to teaching to boys. Observing the all-girls school become co-educational while I was there, was also eye opening. I had a Year 12 homeroom at the time, and the pastoral care of the girls was my main priority. Suddenly more girls worried about how they looked with boys in the building. Some girls became more reticent to speak in the classroom. The boys took up a different space and sometimes it was to the detriment of the girls. My appreciation of an all-girls education was forming. I could see how purpose-built spaces for young women was crucial to their personal and emotional development. 

Fast forward to my life as a parent of a girl (now aged 20 and in university) and it was my daughter in Year 6 at our local co-educational primary school, who shared one night that she wanted to attend an all-girls secondary school because she was tired of boys taking up most of the space in a co-educational classroom. In her own way, she was telling me she wanted her own place to learn and grow, free of distraction. She has not looked back since. 

Returning to an all-girls school this year has been a breath of fresh air. I want for the girls at St Catherine’s what I want for my own daughter and children. I want to see them grow in self-confidence to tackle the world’s challenges head on. I want to see them being comfortable in their own skin with an education and intellect to change the world.

Partnering with our families to achieve this is why I come to work each day. Celebrating the opening of our magnificent Alexandria building and the spaces that our girls can think, talk and grow in further reinforces that intentional education for girls is a choice many families make. Long may our girls feel inspired by our patron saint and become all they can be. 

Mr Paul McMahon

Junior School Sport Coordinator