Feminists critique how patriarchy and sexism influence educational practices, such as the androcentric curriculum, segregated classrooms, and the historical exclusion of females. Schools socialize students into particular modes of gender and race, as well as promoting heterosexuality and sanctioning homosexuality. Critiques include gendered harassment and violence in educational settings, disparities in occupational status despite educational achievement, and the devaluation of teaching as a profession.

The curriculum of American education is androcentric, meaning that European and American white men provide the lens to understand the world through their limited viewpoint. In addition, men in positions of power present themselves as the source of noteworthy achievements, without acknowledging the significant contributions, labor, and collaboration of women and minorities; in addition, indirect labor, such as managing a household and ...