Education in the United States has been constantly changing with modern views evolving over our nation’s historical timeline. These changes have always leaned towards making education more accessible and inherently equal for everyone. Starting in the mid 1600’s educational facilities were only available to certain social classes with sons who showed promise of entering a leadership role with the church, state, or courts (Sass, 2016). Gender separated facilities were the norm and the idea of opening a facility to accommodate both genders was absurd. Currently, public education is predominantly a coeducational environment with only 500 public schools nationwide providing gender separate classes (Eliot, 2013, p. 364). In the last few decades, however, the idea of having gender separate classes within a coeducational public school system has become quite the controversy. Argumentative statements are being made from both sides with regard to brain development, stereotyping, learning preferences, and equal opportunity. Looking into our nation’s history, we can see the journey taken in order to create the integrated coeducational public school systems we have now. The question presented to our current public school system is whether or not reverting back to gender separated education is in fact beneficial to the students. One of the leading arguments for gender separate classrooms is the brain development difference between girls and boys. Supporters of gender separate
New York City consists of five boroughs, Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. The borough that I reside in is Brooklyn. Brooklyn has approximately 2.592 million people inhabiting this district and approximately 23.4 percent of individuals who reside in Brooklyn, NY come from a low-income household or in other words come from poverty. With catholic and private schools being expensive, people have to rely on the education system to provide their children with a good education. In this paper I will be discussing the public school education system ranging solely up to high school in Brooklyn New York and giving a general idea of the New York education system as well.
In the United States, getting an education is very important. Children spend thirteen years of their life learning English, history, math, science, and various other subjects so that they may one day be a productive college student or a working class citizen. In fact, “There are 33,619 private schools in the United States, serving 5.4 million PK-12 students. Private schools account for 25 percent of the nation’s schools and enroll 10 percent of all PK-12 students” (“Council for American Private Education”). Parents face many issues when deciding which school is right for their child. However, the factors that determine their choice of a private or public school are often the results of various essentials that closely mirror the parent’s ideology in regards to education. Parents should send their children to a private school because private schools have smaller class sizes, the curriculum is more challenging, and the school environment is much safer than public schools.
The first day of school is a rite of passage for most children. The step from home or day care to school is huge: they are a big kid now. However, sometimes the local Public School, especially in rural or economically challenged areas, can be an uncertain, questionable and scary place, and yet parents are expected to entrust them with their five or six year old child. Some years ago, when my daughter was ready to enter school, she and I had just such an experience, and we began to seriously search for an alternative school for her to attend. What we discovered was a Charter School: a possible solution for parents, enabling them to take more control of their child’s education. For my daughter and
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
Single-Sex education has existed since the beginning of education itself but, it has recently reemerged in the US under the pretense that it will improve school environments and help children learn better. According to psychological studies this is not the case. There is little difference between boys and girls in terms of ways they learn, and their neurodevelopment. Separating children also does not allow for socialization between different genders. This conflicts with children’s social skills and exposure to the opposite gender which makes sexism is more drastic in environments where girls are separated from boys. Single-sex education is a practice that many people believe improves schooling but, it is not proven that there are any
Did you know that single-sex classrooms are the worst classes ever? Over the past decade, single-gender classrooms have been opened in at least 230 schools in the rural, suburban, and the urban areas. Single-gender classrooms are classrooms where either young girls’ are in one class together, or young boys are in another class together. Single-sex classrooms were created because studies showed that boys and girls learn differently and they could benefit from being in a classroom with peers to whom they can relate. Since 2008, single-gender education has been the key to improved educational performance among boys and girls throughout the years. Today, gender differences among girls and boys are steadily rising in the classrooms they are in,
Public education came about from primarily single-sex education for boys to mostly coeducation before the early 1900’s. In the early beginnings of America, only boys had access to formal public education. Girls were usually only educated in their homes. The integration of coeducation began with girls being allowed in the elementary schools. In the mid-1800’s there was almost an equal number of girls as there were boys attending these elementary schools (Steptoe & Arbor, 2004). In the early introduction of coeducational schools there was much debate as to whether or not these school settings were acceptable and whether or not the girls could physically and mentally handle public schools with boys. There was also the belief that boys’ learning
In today’s society, education has become a very important factor in a student 's life. Everyone tries to do and implement whatever is best for the student to learn and become successful. Therefore, as a result, society tries to separate schools based on gender. Schools should be separated by gender for many reasons. The first reason is that gender separation will help eliminate bullying. It has been demonstrated that boys, in general, tend to be more rude and violent than girls causing the boys to “bully” girls. Another reason they should be separated is to help break down stereotypes. An example of this is that girls are free of the pressure to compete with boys in male dominated subjects such as math and science. Another reason they should be separated is that it makes it easier on the teacher to use different learning techniques that are geared toward specific genders. It is a great idea to separate students by gender at schools if they want the students to have a better education. This will help prevent bullying at schools, help breakdown stereotypes, and encourage teachers to use different educational techniques.
Despite what many think, same-gender schools are starting to show up in public school systems across America. (Guarisco) Some ill-informed members of society believe that same-sex education is the wrong choice for America’s youth. Guarisco states arguments include that segregation leads to more rigid and traditional gender roles. However, schools that have implemented same-gender classes have seen promising results in grades and more support for same-gender education. Also, if a child wishes to attend a single-sex school in America, it must be voluntary. (Guarisco) For American public school systems, same-gender education would be more advantageous because of the higher test scores, decrease in distractions from the opposite gender, and adapting curriculum.
When deciding whether or not to experiment with single-sex classrooms, there are many issues that must be taken into consideration. Those who would be hurt most by this decision would be males. If boys are not able to learn alongside girls, their achievement level would decline and their character development would be hindered. Experimenting with this concept would arise multiple issues and put boys at disadvantages that would put them behind those who are able to learn in coeducational classrooms both educationally and behaviorally; these concerns must be taken into consideration before putting single-sex classrooms into place.
Dr. Laura Allen has spent years studying the brain tissue of both boys and girls. She said, "As I began to look at the human brain more and more, I kept finding differences, and about 7 or 8 of the 10 structures that were actually measured turned out to be different between men and women" (Men, Women). Basically, it is best to always try to learn about human nature, that way we can educate people to prevent them from misusing the information. She claims, "knowledge we get is better, we can alter our education system for more equality" (Men, Women).
A good education is an essential part of a child’s development. Today, parents have a choice in their child’s education and can evaluate both public and private schools. Although both public and private schools provide education and opportunities for students, parents should evaluate the differences and choose the option that best suits their child and families’ needs. In this paper, I will compare and contrast five major areas that relate to public and private schools including class size, cost, curriculum, services, and teachers.
Plato said, "You must train the children to their studies in a playful manner, and without any air of constraint, with the further object of discerning more readily the natural bent of their respective characters" (Plato). Education has increased as a topic of conversation among parents in America today. The importance of a good education has increased in value, and parents are searching for the best possible school for their child in preparation for college. Many believe the most opportune way for their child to succeed in studies is by attending a private school. On the other hand, another group of parents thinks that public schools are the better route. Nevertheless, public schools have been proven to be more successful in the
There are different types of education that a student may receive in today’s society. The choices are narrowed down into two main categories, public and private school. Many people in today’s society believe it’s better to send their children to private schools rather than public schools. To most parents deciding which school system will be better is based on curriculum, class size, and most of all cost. It’s not an easy choice for parents to decide, but many parents feel their child is worth receiving the best education offered.
As time has gone by, Americans have increasingly paid more attention to the schooling process, trying harder all the time to get the best education possible for their children. As a result, more parents are turning from the public school systems to the private schools. This happens for several reasons. First, students that graduate from private schools tend to be better prepared for college. Second, private schools open up many opportunities to succeed in the business world. Last, the private schools allow the parents and the student to decide which school they feel will give the student the best education possible. Overall, private schools offer a better education for high school students than do public schools.