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Strollerderby
Single-Gender Classrooms On the Rise
While parents of some private-school kids have long had the option of enrolling their kids in single-gender classes, the trend is slowly creeping into public school systems across the country. According to the National Association for Single Sex Public Education, more than 500 public schools currently offer single-sex education opportunities for kids from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The latest public school to launch a single-sex education program is Prince William Middle School in Virginia. But while parents and teachers have both expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity for kids to opt out of coed classes, the idea is not without its detractors.
Proponents of single-sex classrooms say that because boys and girls learn differently, teaching them separately allows the teacher to customize instruction methods based on the gender of the students. Others who favor the approach say that this type of setup helps students feel more confident in class and makes them more likely to explore subjects they might not otherwise.
But critics claim this segregation can actually do harm by turning out students who are unprepared for the real world in which men and women must work together.
Because single-sex classrooms weren’t even legal in public schools until 2006, there are not a lot of long-term statistics to back up the opinions of either side. But the anecdotal evidence would seem to suggest that, when done correctly by properly trained teachers, single-sex instruction does result in higher grades and test scores for both boys and girls.
Of course, that evidence says nothing of the social and emotional impact that might result from single-sex education. Feminists argue on both sides of the issue. Some say single-sex classrooms perpetuate gender stereotypes while others say they benefit girls by providing an environment in which they can be nurtured to become strong enough to compete in a male-dominated society.
What do you think? Is an overall improvement in grades reason enough to split them up? Or are we ultimately doing kids more harm than good by reinforcing the idea that boys and girls are different when it comes to education?
Image: woodleywonderworks/Flickr
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[...] Single-Gender Classrooms on the Rise [...]
Should Peanuts Be Banned on Airplanes? | Strollerderby commented on Jun 23 10 at 10:31 amAmanda commented on Jun 22 10 at 4:58 pmIf it’s good enough for the some of the most exclusive private schools in the country, why not try it in public schools too?
Ri-chan commented on Jun 22 10 at 9:52 pmuhg, as someone who had more male friends than female in school, I would have hated this.
damill commented on Jun 23 10 at 10:12 amComments as long as there are choices, I think it’s great! My nephews went to an all boy high school. One loved it and thrived. The other hated it and transfered to a co-ed school as a sophmore. Every child learns differently and the more it can be tailored to their need the better off everyone is.
Marj commented on Jun 23 10 at 10:16 amI like the idea. Studies have shown that girls do better academically in single sex environments. Knowing that, it almost seems unfair to put them in situations when you know they’ll do more poorly due to the disruptive influence of having to deal with boys. And I say this as a mother of sons, not daughters.
Aoharu commented on Jan 08 11 at 2:33 amThis will be a problem for Transgender students… And also Homosexual students.
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