The subject of single-gender classrooms in public schools is one of the most controversial education related subjects around today. The subject of single-gender classrooms is such a large and controversial subject because it extends beyond pure academics. Political, civil rights, socioeconomic and legal concerns also come into play when dealing with the idea of single-gender classrooms in relation to public schooling. Some say it creates social boundaries, and others say it breaks them down. Legal issues come into this with the fact that this is seen by some people as allowing discrimination of gender into the schools. It all depends on the point of view. Single-gender classrooms will not work for every child to increase academic success. Single-gender classrooms can, however, reduce the amount of pressure put on students in subjects normally dominated by the opposite gender. Along with this comes the fact that some parents don't want their children to be in mixed-gender classrooms because, especially at certain ages, students of the opposite sex can be a distraction.
Having separate gender classrooms doesn't work for every child. Before you weigh the pros and cons, you have to think about their nature, and their “nurturing”, their up-bringing. Gender, temperament, abilities (and disabilities), and intelligence are all factors of the child's nature that could greatly influence whether the child would do better in a co-ed environment, or an environment. Along with their nature, though, goes the environment that they have been raised in and will continue to be raised in. Family upbringing, socioeconomic status, culture, religion, and stereotypes all fall under this category. In reality, merely placing boys in separate classrooms from girls will accomplish little. On the other hand, when teachers use techniques geared toward the specific gender of their students, single-sex education will enhance students' chances of success.
Some research and reports from educators suggest that a single-sex education can broaden the educational prospects for both girls and boys. Advocates claim co-ed schools tend to reinforce gender stereotypes, while single-sex schools can break down gender stereotypes. This point can go either way, but it again depends on the child's nature and environment. For example, math and science tend to be male dominant subjects, and girls, when placed in classes away from boys, are free of the pressure to compete with boys. Boys, on the other hand, can more easily pursue traditionally "feminine" interests such as poetry and writing, or music. These problems arise from stereotypes that the society we live in has created. Advocates of single-sex education believe that implementing the separate-gender classes at an earlier age would decrease the amount of stereotyping that tends to develop as the students grow older. Research supports the fact that girls in separate-gender classrooms were less aware of “being a girl” in this environment because the stereotypes are no longer as pronounced.
Parents want what's best for their child, so it's only natural that they want their child to succeed in school. A school in Alabama, Foley Intermediate, is one such school that really shows the success of a separate-gender classroom “In the first year of Foley’s single-sex program, a third of the kids enrolled. The next year, two-thirds signed up, and in its third year 87 percent of parents requested the program.”. This school, along with many other schools with some single-gender classrooms, is truly providing the results that parents are looking for for their children. Single-gender classrooms optimize the learning experience for all of the students. The rooms are set up to be more comfortable to the particular gender, such as cooler temperatures in the boys classrooms, and warmer in the girls classrooms. These little changes to the environment of the classrooms has a huge, but positive, impact on the students learning.
Separate-gender classrooms are a great idea, and one that is booming in public schools. Public schools that offer this program also continue to offer co-ed classes for the students who don't wish to be in a separate-gender classroom. The results speak for themselves, though. Separate-gender classrooms are in public schools are jumping ahead as people realize that these results are actually showing something, they're not just another useless statistic. Separate-gender classrooms are leading the way into better education for America.
Sources Cited:
http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-your-ideal/1139-single-sex-education-the-pros-and-cons.gs?page=all
http://iwf.org/files/94e524c4bb6632b2a298d04275f6a458.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-sex_education#Effects_of_single-sex_education
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02sex3-t.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr215.shtml
http://www.singlesexschools.org/evidence.html
