If you own cable television or listen to the radio, surely you’ve heard all the hoopla over Oprah’s new girls’ school.
I think her project is great. A lot of young girls will have an opportunity to get a quality education in a safe (very comfy, I might add) environment thanks to Oprah’s two new schools, The Seven Fountains Primary School and The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.
As we know here at The Women’s Foundation, supporting women and girls means supporting families and communities.
But, being the diverse world that it is, there is always room for disagreement and people who will voice questions or concerns about something. When I first heard that some people were unhappy with Oprah’s schools, I thought “Come on, even something like building new schools? Get a grip.”
Of course, I believe in free speech, and as I always say, people should do and think “whatever floats their boat.” So, even though I don’t agree with most of the negative backlash, I think it’s interesting and worth exploring. I’m curious to see what other people out there think about these contrasting points of view.
The positives are some of the obvious, like the fact that these girls will receive a better education with a promising future to pursue their passions. Many lived in unsafe neighborhoods and traveled far to school, but with Oprah’s campus-like environment with dorms, the girls get to interact with other girls on the same property. They have healthier diets, more clothing, comfy beds, the works.
I admit that some of the facility equipment may be extravagant (like the fireplace) as some of the negative comments say, but at the same time, this is a woman worth millions, what did we think she would build?
Oprah goes all out when it comes to building new houses and presenting gifts, and believes that everyone is worthy, as anyone who watches her show can see. I can go on and on with the good stuff, but it’s not hard to read or hear about it somewhere, so I’ll stop here.
On to some of the more pessimistic outlooks. To my surprise, the rules limit family visits and communications. Cell phone use and emailing are not allowed during the school week, and girls can only visit their families once a month. Family visitors have to be approved by the school at least two weeks in advance, and they are not allowed to bring “treats” such as chocolates and other things considered “junk food” to their girls. One mother commented that her child called her crying, and the mom wondered whether the school was more like a prison.
I admit some of the rules are a bit strict, but I think they were framed in the interest of the students’ safety and keeping the campus as uniform as possible. It is Oprah’s first stab at this, so perhaps rules will flex later. She views the rules as “safe,” not “strict.” A lot of American public schools and university rules have seemingly ludicrous rules, too. And, healthy food makes a difference in physical and mental performance, so I’m all for blocking the junk food (I should take that advice myself). I thought back to the Supersize Me food documentary and the segment on how schools for at-risk children feed organic, healthy foods and how it does correlate with their improved behavior.
Then there are the more controversial debates, like why she built schools in Africa versus America, and how the school is elite. I’ve also heard that the girls attending the schools cannot become pregnant, but I haven’t found legitimate information to confirm that. I didn’t see this on TV for myself, but apparently Oprah answered the America vs. Africa question with something along the lines that the children of America were more interested in iPods, shoes, and other brand items instead of learning.
I don’t totally agree with that point of view, if indeed Oprah or someone else said it, but she’s not totally off the map. In our culture, many children are become materialistic at a young age. A lot are not taught the meaning of a good education, and the real things to get fulfillment out of. Consumerism and consumption are priority in America, and I can understand in some way why this may have influenced her to build the schools in Africa, and not here right now. It’s not the best or likely the only explanation, but I’m okay with it.
Education is a key to future success and I’m glad for a new school to be built anywhere.
I think Oprah is making an effort to solve a root problem. A good education from the start is like pouring water over the seeds to grow good flowers. (By the way, William Ryan’s Blaming the Victim is a another good read to add to your list about solving problems at the surface vs. attacking the real sources.)
Yes, the school didn’t help students in her own country, but she does other things over here, and I think we should take these new schools in stride and not condemn the restrictions in place.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not praising every little thing about the schools, I’m just saying that I think the good outweighs the bad and as the administration and Oprah get more experience, they will only become better–and the extreme comments that can’t find one good thing with the schools seem a bit out of bounds.
Food for thought.
