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How have feminist philosophers criticized traditional educational aims?

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Fragment of a Roman fresco showing Socrates seated and draped in a white robe, with Greek text above, on a red background with visible cracks. — Philosophy of education Socrates, Roman fresco, 1st century bce; in the Ephesus Museum, Selçuk, Turkey.

Feminist philosophers have critiqued traditional educational aims for being male-oriented and for neglecting essential human development. Their criticisms generally focus on the following areas:1

Broadening Educational Aims: Feminists argue that education should move beyond a focus on cognitive development and public-sphere traits—such as reason, objectivity, and impartiality—to include the emotional, intuitive, and conative development of all students.1
Valuing Care: A central feminist aim is the fostering of "caring," which involves developing students' abilities to care for themselves and others. This challenges the traditional exclusion of characteristics associated with the private sphere, such as compassion and sensitivity to the physical and psychological needs of others.1
Challenging Public/Private Distinctions: By asserting that "the personal is political," feminist philosophers have questioned the traditional separation of the public and private realms, arguing that education should address aspects of life previously relegated to the home and family.12
Addressing Gender Roles: While some feminists advocate for gender-neutral education to ensure equal opportunity, others critique the very categories of "male" and "female" roles, or even reject traditional notions of reason and objectivity as inherently biased.12