Pros and Cons of Single sex high schools (versus co-educational schools)
- Single sex schools offer better academic results for teens. Generally speaking girls in particular are said to excel academically in single sex schools. Recently it has been shown that boys also can improve their academic skills in a single sex environment.
- Less distractions- Flirting games involving who is dating who and who has slept with who are less likely to happen in a single sex environment.
- Gentler social pressures- The whole who is dating who, who´s cool and who´s not business is likely to be less important in comparison with co-ed schools.
- Opportunities for better teaching- Recent studies mention that a single sex environment creates opportunities for better teaching, one that is tailored to and one that optimises teaching in this type of single sex environment.
- Accommodating different learning patterns- It is said that boys and girls learn differently, therefore a single sex environment favours better student learning and studying.
- Gender Stereotypes- “I feel that the single gender environment has given my daughter a level of confidence and informed interest in math and science that she may not have had otherwise.” Co-ed atmosphere is said to reinforce gender stereotypes while single sex schools allow boys to study traditionally “feminine” subjects such as music, literature. This reflects also on girls who can study maths and science as well as sports such as football with more ease while in a single sex environment.
CONS
- What about social-skills? “due to lack of exposure, some students from single-sex schools tend to have a warped view of the opposite sex as they do not understand the opposite sex enough.” Real
- The gossip girl effect- “who’s cool still counts and gossip still takes up a lot of time in class” even in a single sex school. Girls can talk about the boys they meet outside school much in the same way that they would in a co-ed environment.
- Better Behaviour in Co-ed Schools- The male sex is rough while the female sex is gentle. The two coexisting curbs the rough behaviour of the boys in order for them to gain female friends.
- Sexuality-a single sex environment might not favour the development of a teen´s sexuality. If teens do not interact with the opposite sex, they may take longer to develop their own bearings concerning who they are attracted to.
When it comes down to it most people would say that the best schooling system depends on the actual school and not on the single sex versus co-ed option. However perhaps a possible solution to this dilemma would be: single sex classes within co-ed schools?
