The Pros and Cons of Single Sex School and Co-ed School - Coursework Example

Single sex school or co-ed school Through many generations there has been a movement for the equality of the sexes. Many legal and social barriers that came in the way of women being considered equal to men have been removed. Keeping this is mind if you view co- education it seems it is the right choice for children considering co- education is based on the concept of equal opportunity for boys and girls. There are many people who believe that co-education is good for children and better than single-sex schools On the contrary educators and researchers have shown that single-sex schools are better than co-ed schools mainly because of the following three reasons: 1) Research has shown that children, both boys and girls obtain better grades in single-sex schools 2) Children can be their self in single-sex schools and 3) They are more comfortable in single-sex schools as both the sexes feel and think differently. If one accepts this reasoning than co-ed schools may not be the right choice. But then again there is not enough evidence to prove that single-sex schools are better than co-ed schools. A detailed study of the advantages and disadvantages of both the types of schools may perhaps help in arriving at a conclusion. . I t is generally believed that children can be themselves in same sex schools and take part in activities that suit them. For instance they can enjoy poetry or be a part of a band instead of marching without worrying about what the girls might think. Similarly girls can take part in sports like football or hockey without the fear of being labelled as a tomboy. Gils are able to shed their shyness. Children feel comfortable exploring subjects of their choice especially the non traditional ones. Girls feel comfortable studying subjects like advanced science or carpentry whereas boys can participate in orchestras or study languages like Latin without fear of being ridiculed for exploring subjects that are considered non-traditional. They need not don stereotypical roles and are encouraged to be curious and fearless. In short single sex schools allow children to be themselves. Today children face a huge amount of pressure from all quarters to become adults even before they are prepared. Children are forced to grow up too quickly. Some children are more comfortable in single-sex schools as the social pressures are less here. A child can grow at his own pace. As boys mature later than girls boys need more time to grow and single-sex schools may allow them to grow at their own pace. The atmosphere in single sex schools is controlled and gentle and allows children to remain as children for a few more years. Girls get more opportunities than they would get in co-ed classes for discussions since there are no boys around to dominate the discussions. As a result girls get to become more confident and earn higher grades in examinations. Girls in single sex schools are not expected to be quiet, nice, quiet, non-athletic, and assume passive roles. Girls get leadership roles in all activities be it drama, sports or debate. This again helps them in their academics. This and the absence of male favoritism lead to more successful academic careers. Girls and boys mature at different times and single sex schools can understand the special characteristics of the growing stages and nurture them accordingly. According to experts the patterns of the development of brains differ in boys and girls and the processing that takes place in the brain too differs. Girls have different emotions than boys and even respond to stress differently. Hence the instruction methods and the learning environment should be different. Single-sex schools are best suited for this purpose. Girls are not subjected to any form sexual harassment in single sex schools unlike in co-ed schools where girls are affected by some of sexual harassment or the other. This is a positive factor for teenage girls since their bodies and self-esteem at this point are in a critical stage. Many people think that the lack of opposite sex is an enormous advantage for students as they find it easier to focus on academics without being distracted by the opposite sex. They find it easier to participate actively in classes and enjoy the camaraderie that exists among classmates belonging to the same gender. It is seen that students gain confidence when surrounded by people of the same gender. Some studies however have shown that co-education which has both boys and girls attending the same school, is better than single sex education. This is more apparent in secondary education. In co-ed schools there are more chances of student diversity. When there are both boys and girls in a class, students get opportunities to interact with people of the opposite sex and in the process learn how to work with them. They learn how to collaborate and the different approaches used for learning are learning experiences. They get to understand gender differences which prepare them for life and also help them to deal with social issues that may arise when interacting with the opposite sex. An argument in favor of co-ed schools is that they prepare children for life. Communicating with the other sex in the formative years helps them when they have to interact with the other sex when they are working as there are not many workplaces that employ only males or only females. Men and women will certainly get to interact with each other either in the house or workplace. The mixed environment of coeducational schools will help them to understand gender differences which in turn will help them later in life. Again many convincing arguments have been put forth against co-ed schools and many disadvantages have been pointed out. The first disadvantage cited is that students cannot remain focused and concentrate on their studies in a class that has both the genders. Another argument is that since there is a huge difference between girls and boys in terms of thinking and maturity and as such they cannot be taught in the same manner. Research has shown that the learning ways of boys and girls are different and that a girl's brain is different from that of boy’s brain. Boys need variety, their attention span is less than that of girls and are more active. Hence teaching methods have to be different which is not possible in classes having both girls and boys. The mixing of the sexes has another disadvantage for some students. The opposite sex may prove to be a distraction for some students and hinder academic work. Students who are easily intimidated by the opposite sex will face difficulty in participating in class activities. When students are passing through the pre adolescent and adolescent stages, they are more attracted to the opposite sex and hence there are more chances of sexual abuses and illegitimate sexual relationships resulting in scandals. Teenage pregnancy is also a result of this. It is a fact that unwanted teenage pregnancy is much more common in co-ed schools than in single-sex schools. There is more risk in co-ed schools of girls getting pregnant in middle school or high school. It has been reported that the United States has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the industrialized world. Teen-age pregnancy has become a reality, and many parents are of the opinion that if their children interact and develop strong friendships with members of their own sex they are better positioned to avoid problems of sexual relationships outside of school. It is generally believed that in a single-sex school, even if a girl does have a boyfriend the social network at school sees to it that girls are separated from boys and makes it easy for her to take decisions regarding sex. Girls in single-sex schools are generally more in control of their relationships and there are much less chances of an unwanted pregnancy. There are many counter arguments for some of the arguments mentioned above. For instance there are people who believe that there are differences between the sexes and hence need to be taught differently. However there are enough number of people who do not think so. According to Usha Goswami, a neuroscientist and professor of education at the University of Cambridge, two boys could be as different from each other as they are different from girls. In terms of focus co-ed schools may be at a disadvantage but in terms of development co-ed schools are at an advantage as both girls and boys benefit from a mixed environment. Girls become tougher and stronger competing with boys. Similarly boys too become more competitive. Both the sexes get to learn about co-operation and work in teams comprising of both girls and boys and this will help them when they start working. Working together will give them the confidence to build relationships and work harmoniously with the opposite sex. One argument in favor of single sex school is that girls are more likely to take non-traditional subjects like physics or mathematics if they are in such schools. But some studies show that girls at co-educational schools are just as likely to take these subjects Another argument is that in single-sex schools children concentrate more on academics as there is no distraction from the opposite sex. However according to critics’ development of certain social skills that relate to the opposite sex reach the peak during teenage years and if the teenagers are not in touch with the opposite sex their social skills may get limited and they may find it difficult to relate with the opposite sex later on. One more argument against co-ed schools is that when you put boys and girls together they are exposed to sexual relationships early. According to critics the difficulty children face in connecting with the other sex actually pushes them to have early sexual relationships. As for the need for learning and teaching styles to be different for boys and girls, the counter argument is that the teachers should have the skills to differentiate and adjust their style accordingly. Even in single-sex schools a class may consist of a variety of students such as introverts and extroverts, students with special needs and so on. Here too teaching styles have to be different. In conclusion it can be said when one considers the above arguments it is difficult to decide which of the two options, studying in a single sex school or co-ed school is beneficial. It is difficult even to make a clear-cut comparison between the two. And even when one manages to do so no option rises clearly to the top. According to a major study there is no evidence to suggest that children are at an advantage or achieve more in single-sex schools. This report by Professor Alan Smithers, one of the leading education experts in Britain challenges the popular perception that is prevailing among parents that sending their children, especially daughters to a single-sex school is beneficial. Smithers say, 'There are no overriding advantages for single-sex schools on educational grounds,’ and that 'Studies all over the world have failed to detect any major differences.' He further said that, it was ability and social backgrounds that were more important. Today both single-sex schools and co-ed schools are different from what they were some years ago and as such a choice must not be made based on the conditions prevailing then as they are not relevant today. A decision must be made based on what is most beneficial for a child and whether the school fulfills a child’s needs or not. As Claire Oulton says "There are great co-ed schools and great single sex schools and there are mediocre ones in both categories. What really matters is that children go to a fantastic school”. Whereas some will continue to debate that school should have the right tools and proper equipment and co-ed schools are better equipped, others will continue to opt for single-sex schools convinced that these schools are better.The argument for and against both types of schools will continue since there is a demand. Both the options will continue to co-exist. References 1. Goswami Usha, Quote retrieved from www.brandeis.edu/centers/cfwp/articles/6941.pdf on 1/12/09 2. Oulton Claire, Quote retrieved from http://www.couttswoman.com/2007/august/features/single-versus-mixed-sex-schools.asp on 1/12/09 3. Smithers Allan, Quote retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/jun/25/schools.gender2 on 30/11/09 Read More