’A Girl in a Militant Pose’: a chronology of struggle in girls’ education in Queensland

This paper chronicles the struggles in Queensland education to have the educational disadvantages of girls included on the agenda. The new right policies of the Queensland government have precipitated a powerful anti‐feminist lobby. Nonetheless, the government and the education department have been forced’ into at least formulating an Equal Opportunity policy for girls (and boys!). While the policy is weak and departmental commitment limited, some progressive teachers have been able to ‘use’ the policy to implement progressive practices. In a more general sense, the paper looks at the usefulness or otherwise of such policies which have developed out of a liberal feminist framework. While not denying their worth, the paper also argues that women's issues have to be fought for in the context of a broader social agenda.