Gender in schools

Men are better at parking women are better at multitasking-girls love to read boys are educational underachievers-men are authoritarian leaders women are communicative-men were better school principals are women? The author explains the origins of such still-prevalent stereotypical gender roles and links them to gender in everyday school life. The focus is on the connection and impact of the gender of school administrators and their understanding of roles and leadership characteristics and abilities in relation to everyday school life and the implementation of gender mainstreaming. The author highlights the possibilities and limitations of this implementation and reflects on the changing role of school principals particularly in light of the growing autonomy of schools.