by KateMB

Created on: September 03, 2007

I believe that children learn far better in single sex schools, as they are free from the distraction of the opposite sex, and boys and girls have different learning styles, which single sex schools can cater for more readily. The students in single sex schools are also not inhibited by gender stereotypes, and statistically they preform far better.

The interaction with the opposite is a major part of adolescence. It is healthy for boys and girls to have realationships with each other, and a vital part of growing up. However, it is very important that these realationships not be brought into the classroom. In co-ed schools boys and girls waste their class time flirting with the opposite sex, when they should be listening to teachers, a problem not relevant to single sex schools. The girls are distracted by the boys, and vice-versa, their attention drawn away from the important subjects they should be learining. Although male and female teenagers do need to interact with each other, single sex schools do not allow them to do it during class time, and hence students are more focused and receptive to what is being taught.

Males and females learn in different ways, which single sex schools can easily cater for. Girls tend to lack in self esteem, and require encouragement, whereas the confident boys often need to be brought down a peg or two, and then challenged in order to improve. Co-ed schools struggle to meet the different learning requirements for each gender.

Students in co-ed schools are inhibited by gender stereotypes. In co-ed schools some sports are viewed as gender-specific, such as football for boys, and netball fore girls. Students are lead to believe that they can not participate in a particular sport or activity because of their gender, and even if there are no rules prohibiting it, are too intimidated to try. In single sex schools this is not the case, girls are free to play football, and are not overshadowed by intimidating boys. In single sex schools students are not inhibited by gender stereotypes, and are free to flourish in an unintimidating environment.

Statistically, single sex schools preform far better. A study by The Australian Council for Educational Research in 2001 showed that students educated in co-ed classrooms scored an average 15 to 22 percentile ranks lower that students from single sex classes. Clearly students at single sex schools achieve do better academically than students from co-ed schools.

Students in single sex schools are free from the distraction of the oppisite sex. In single sex schools it is simple the school can cater for the students' learning styles, and the students are not inhibited by gender stereotypes. Furthermore, they achieve far better results than students in co-ed schools.

references:
1. http://www.singlesexschools.org/evidence.html
2. http://www.singlesexschools.org/research-learning.ht m
3. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/1561872791-97511299 /content~content=a713995549~db=all

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