Old Tactic Gets New Use: Public Schools Separate Boys And Girls

In her essay “ Single-Sex Schools: An Old Time Idea Whose Time Has Come,” Diane Urbina Argues that it would be more beneficial if we had single-sex schools. The myth is debunked is that boys and girls are restricted by nature in relation to what they can learn and how fast. Rather, their brain development is restricted, and so they can only learn so much in a certain time period. Boys learn literacy skills more slowly. Girls have trouble with math. Therefore, boys and girls who attend

When it comes to the classroom, there are several differences between girls and boys. There are physical differences in the way their brains work, differences in the room temperature that is best for boys and girls, and differences in how girls and boys respond to various tones of speech (Sax, 2006). While girls prefer soft-spoken teachers, Sax (2006) notes that boys prefer to be spoken to “loudly and in short, direct sentences with clear instructions” (p. 195). According to Sax (2006), “the ideal ambient temperature for boys is about 69 degrees and about 75 degrees for girls” (p. 193-194). Further differences involve how boys and girls learn. McNeil states that “boys may learn better under pressure and when allowed to move around...while girls may perform better in group situations and with a lot of encouragement” (McNeil, 2008). Because of these many differences, it would stand to reason that boys and girls would benefit from being in separate classrooms. According to Hughes (2007), “the teacher would be able to concentrate on the learning-styles of each sex and use the styles to bring out the academic best in each students. Lessons and activities could be designed with a single-sex in mind” (p. 11). As Principal John Fox states, “the single-sex environment enables you to actually focus on the particular needs of each gender, and those needs socially and

An article that was written about a school in Texas stated that more than 50% of boys and girls in single-gender classrooms cause disruptions, and they bring their behavior from home into the classrooms at school. In an article, it stated that “in October of 2006, federal regulations established the requirements for legally permissible single-sex schools and classes within the public system; nearly 200 schools in South Carolina have single-gender classrooms” (“Single-Sex Education Spreads” 2). Teachers’ interest often drives the attention of students to single-gender classes, and growing interest from their parents is also pushing more schools and districts as they hear about these classrooms (“Single-Gender Classrooms” 2). While teachers and administrators prefer this environment, boys and girls in single-sex classrooms are influenced to distract and be distracted by their friends, and the people around them. They seem to doodle, daydream, and lose their thought in the classroom because of their surroundings. In a newspaper article, “Should Children Be Taught in Single-Sex Classrooms”, the author says pupils fail to develop relationships with the opposite sex if they are taught in a single-sex environment because they both tend to be drawn into conflict amongst each other, they are distracted by what others are doing in the classrooms, and they are not themselves because they are being forced into an unfamiliar environment they do not

School is preparation for adult life. How can boys and girls learn how to interact as equals in the workplace if they have no experience interacting as equals in school? The argument between single-sex and soed classrooms have been debated for years. In fact, single-sex public education programs are even illegal in some ways. They are illegal because it is classified as segregation, which is illegal. All classrooms should be coed because that's how it will be in the future after school and it keeps stereotypes linked to gender learning away.

The typical classroom consists an image of boys and girls coexisting, working together, and learning in the same way. As when you walk into certain schools you will see rooms with blue walls with race cars on it, while other rooms will have pink walls with flowers on it. These classrooms would be single-gender. Many students or parent is not given an option of single-sex classrooms without it being a private school and costing hundreds of dollars. Schools should be able to offer students more than one option without having a distraction of the opposite gender.

In more recent years, our educational system has faced challenges that are leading our country back into segregation. Single-sex education has resurfaced; jeopardizing the gains our ancestors fought so hard for. A few people believe that the biological make-up between genders is significantly different, that having coeducational classes is doing more harm than good. Conversely, there is no proven study that supports these claims; however studies have displayed the exact opposite. Separating genders within the educational system will only perpetuate and magnify

In spite of, we can not ignore the fact that children constantly interact with members of the opposite sex outside school. From playing and squabbling with siblings to negotiate allowances, chores and privilege with their opposite sex parent, children learn and practice on a daily basis the skills they will need in the future. Furthermore, children are subjected to an avalanche of pressure from the other sex and from every quarter to become adults before they are ready to do so. They grow up too quickly. Why not let them be children for a few more years? Single sex education with its gentler, more controlled social outlets is just the ticket for many children. Meanwhile, at many coed schools, it is not "cool" for kids to be excited about school. The game of who likes who, who is going out with who, who is cool and who is not, is what is really important at most coed schools. That is seldom the case at single-sex schools.

The typical school classroom conjures up images of boys and girls coexisting, raising their hands in equal numbers. However, that’s not always the case. According to 2010 data from NCES and the U.S. Census Bureau, from prekindergarten to senior year of high school, male students outnumber female students significantly in public school classrooms: 54 percent to 46 percent in pre-K and 51 percent to 49 percent from first grade to 12th grade.So with the disproportionate stats in the American classroom, is it beneficial to separate the genders from each other? Much debate has centered around this topic for years.

The reasoning behind this is that girls perform better in single gender classrooms because it removes the air of worried competitiveness from the schools (Sax 245-246). In the U.S.A. the school system tried to promote gender equality by introducing a gender blind system. But, Dr Leonard Sax author of Why Gender Matters points out that this has “[lead] paradoxically to a strengthening of gender stereotypes, with the result that fewer girls take courses in physics, computer sciences, trigonometry and calculus” (99). In coed schools today girls shy away from typically boyish subjects because they feel out of place or are discouraged and boys shy away from typically girlish subjects from fear of being mocked (243). As I pointed out, girls are constantly stressed with trying to meet our cultural standards for them.

This surprised me because I never really thought about how people even took into consideration calculating gaps between boys and girls. I feel like that could be a reason why we have a few issues regarding gender when it comes to the classroom. I have always thought that girls did better in certain topics and boys did well in the other ones, but studies have shown from our research that that is really not the case. It’s easy to that coed classrooms aren’t an issue and that all kids learn better from being surrounded by boys and girls, but we had also talked about single sex classrooms and the benefits of those. The class had a lot to say about this too because I think people really do like the idea of single sex schools but on the flip side some people really don’t. From most of the research I did and from asking people their opinions they say that single sex classrooms are extremely beneficial and I found that to be super interesting. This topic is something that really surprised me because where I am from single sex school in any form is not even heard of. I have never even thought to myself that it could really be any different learning with only girls in my

I am against single gender classes because I feel there would be more dramatic situations involving the female classes, children would not learn how to properly interact with the opposite sex, and during group discussions they would only understand their genders point of view.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about something, but an opinion differentiates from a fact. A boy or a girl could have come from a coeducational school and transitioned to a single gender school and could have said it was the best thing for her/him or vice versa. Every student is different which comes with a different learning style. When most students attend a single gender school, they feel more free to express themselves and not worried about who is judging them. Single gender schools helps students build self-esteem for themselves. Most students cannot handle the pressure of dealing with coeducational schools and some students can. As students get older, little do they know, at some point they are going to have to deal with the opposite sex rather they like it or not. Since men and women are likely to interact in the workplace and in the home, schools teach life and social skills to children so they will not be so hesitant in life. School can be an environment in which boys and girls are going to come to differences that could come to be understood by putting them together in the same environment. The point of school is to prepare students for life and separating may not be the best

To say every girl is the same and every boy is the same is ridiculous. Every single person is different. Single gendered classes could bring up so many different issues with students, schools and families. Imagine you are a 8 year old student, a girl, and your family takes it upon themselves to put you in a class filled with the same gender. They didn’t ask what you’d like, as if your opinion on the topic didn’t matter. Let’s also say you don’t like the class because you don’t get along with the other girls. You don’t dress in pink, you dress in blue. You don’t like all the same things they do. You don’t paint your nails. You don’t have long glorious hair. All your friends are boys. So now you’re forced into this class with not a single boy.

If a boy has gone to a single-gender school all of his life, he may not know what is appropriate to do or say to a women. This is the same for girls. Because a girl or boy does not know what the opposite gender is typically interested in, it could be difficult for a girl, for example, to get along with a boy and start friendships.

In single sex schools boys and girls excel in subjects they usually would not. Single sex schools help children do well in subjects they usually would not be good at or subjects they would not usually try. For example girls do better at maths and science in all-girl schools; boys do better in languages and the arts in all boy schools. My first example to backup my point is a study by Cambridge University in 2006 where their research showed “boys improved in english and foreign languages in single sex classes, and girls improved in maths and physics. This proves girls and boys do better in subjects they usually would not do because they are more comfortable in a single sex school rather than a co-educational school. A second piece of evidence to help argue my point is a United States study that found boys at single sex