Single Sex Education

Single-sex education

Single-sex education is a long-standing strategy that involves separate classrooms or schools for boys and girls, particularly in private institutions. Nonetheless, public schools are increasingly adopting this strategy. This trend has been greatly aided by research demonstrating that there are innate disparities in how males and girls learn (Stanberry, 2016). Understanding this argument enables for better appreciation of the benefits and drawbacks of single-sex education.

Proponents of single-sex education

Proponents of this strategy do so for a variety of reasons. For starters, as pupils mature, the opposite sex just serves as a distraction. Second, using gender-sensitive strategies has been shown to improve student success. Thirdly, boys prefer cooler classrooms while girls like warm ones thus their separation facilitates the setting of these conditions (Stanberry, 2016). Additionally, their educational prospects tend to be broadened since gender stereotypes are broken down while they are often reinforced in co-ed institutions (Stanberry, 2016). Also, federal law supports this approach whenever such options are voluntary.

Critics of single-sex education

Conversely, critics have some assertions that back their perspective. The first one is that few educators are equipped with gender-specific techniques. Next, gender differences are not universal thereby this approach may be ineffective or harmful (Stanberry, 2016). Thirdly, students will eventually co-exist with those of the opposite sex thus single-sex schools limit their capacity to cooperate and harmonize with each other. Moreover, there is research supporting that co-ed classrooms with a high percentage of girls tend to perform better (Stanberry, 2016). Also, the achievement gap is less between genders in comparison to that of students originating from different backgrounds. Lastly, it is still considered unlawful and discriminatory by many.

Conclusion

In conclusion, comprehending the debate surrounding single-sex schools is instrumental in identifying their pros and cons. This tactic entails having separate classrooms or schools for each gender. The proponents and critics of this debate each have different reasons for supporting their side of their argument with these reasons not only being academic but also affecting political, legal, socioeconomic, and civil rights aspects.

References

Stanberry, K. (2016, May 19). Single-sex education: the pros and cons. Retrieved May 24, 2017, from http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/single-sex-education-the-pros-and-cons/