There are exceptions, of course. At the British School of Brussels where I am Principal we appear to buck a trend. It is a co-educational school of 1280, with a larger proportion of boys than girls. 80% of the staff are female, though the figure changes to 50% within the Secondary school teaching staff. I am the schools’ second female Principal (there have been six) and I have two female Vice Principals who are Heads of Primary and Secondary schools. There are three female Assistant Heads (of five) and females as Head of Sixth Form, ER manager and HR manager. We also have a female Chair of Governors and Clerk to the Governors. No doubt there were lengthy discussions when I was appointed, creating as it did an all-female Leadership Team, and probably those deliberations would not have been quite so searching had it been a male appointment to an all-male team.

What I have experienced since my arrival last September is a well-managed, forward-looking, vibrant community, consultative by nature, and caring. Gender of the management does not appear to be an issue: the male staff seem comfortable about their female team leaders, and students enjoy a happy, stimulating learning environment. Clear communication procedures are always challenging in a large community, but, at the risk of irritating my male friends and colleagues, whose attributes and wisdom I am the first to celebrate, I think it fair to say communicating is a female strength, as is that ability to keep many plates spinning at once – and still remember birthdays! It’s probably what Mrs Thatcher meant when she said, “If you want anything said, ask as man. If you want something done, ask a woman.”

Does a matriarchal management system miss out on something? Dangerous to generalise, I know, but there is a tendency of women to hold back from the bold decisions, a fear of failure, ridicule or rejection, a wanting to be liked by those we lead. Leadership and tough management decisions need courage by the bucketful, and rock solid self-confidence. Women leaders in my experience will often seek reassurance that what they are doing is on-track, that they are winning the hearts and minds, whereas men often appear to be more confident tackling issues and difficult people head-on, more sure of their judgments, even if much of that is the result of effective smokescreens.

It remains as important as ever for those in senior positions in schools to encourage girls to take risks alongside the boys, to play to their strengths, to gain confidence wherever they can. Hopefully, what all our students at BSB experience will encourage them to be comfortable about themselves, and confident in their aspirations, but globally we females have a long way to go yet. Many, many times in the classrooms here, when the students have seen my Blackberry flashing, I have heard, “My father has one of those.” I have yet to hear a mother get a mention. 

Dr Brenda Despontin is Principal at The British School of Brussels

(the views expressed are the author's own)

Expatica 2009