In his Feb 22 article, Josh Dehaas asserts “to claim that women are at a disadvantage in school is absurd.” The more absurd reality is policy-makers are more likely to listen to his argument than to look at the facts.

Canada’s knowledge-based economy – especially the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – continues to grow. Related changes in the economy, including shifts to globalized markets and an emphasis on innovation and technology, all mean that education is more and more an integral component of economic and social well-being.

Although women have always been well represented in schools as students and teachers, it is possible, by examining women's participation in schooling, to understand how that participation has both reflected and produced the unequal position of women in society.