ABSTRACT
Every girl’s (and boy’s) self-image is bound up with her perception of herself as an acceptable or unacceptable human being, and adolescents in particular need constant reassurance about their appearance. Physical changes have made them much more body-conscious than they were a year or two before, and physical beauty assumes a quite disproportionate importance. Many young girls nowadays may deny vehemently that they agree with such sentiments. Those are the views of the oldies, the unreconstructed who do not know what it is all about; their behaviour, however, belies their claims. The modes of presenting that appearance may vary from generation to generation but the importance of the world’s regard remains the same. Teachers are in a position to help to alter viewpoints. They can do so by initiating discussions on relevant topics and helping girls to become aware of how much they themselves are subscribing to their own predicament.
