Same-Sex Education

Single-Sex Education

Subtle nuances in the classroom often disproportionately influence education. In one study, scientists in Germany found that solely by changing a classroom’s lights, teachers could increase reading speeds by 35% and decrease restlessness by 76% (Barkman and Wesolowski). In another study, small class sizes in elementary schools increased students’ attendance to college (Chetty 126). If minor changes in education can have vast repercussions, we, as a nation, must monitor our schools and continuously improve them. Education, after all, forms a pillar of democracy, and helps turn children into productive adults. Education also correlates conclusively with average life salaries and quality of life (Ross and Van Willigen 275-297).

Co-education stands as one aspect of public schooling that currently arouses debate. Among America’s more than 90,000 public schools, only a few hundred offer single-sex education (US Dept. of Education, Chapter 2). This acceptance of the co-ed method stems in part from egalitarian concerns and the women’s rights movement. In terms of academic achievement, however, co-ed schooling has grave disadvantages. By choosing the co-educational system, we’re divesting our children from a tailored curriculum, in favor of a whitewashed education best for neither gender.

The data speaks for itself. At Florida’s Stetson University, researchers studied children over a three year period and found that proficiency in standardized tests dramatically increased in single-sex environments. Boys in particular were affected, scoring 86% in single-sex schools as compared to 37% in co-ed ones. Another study found single-sex schools to benefit the education of low-income and minority students (Hubbard and Datnow). Other studies point to the breadth of study that single-sex education affords students. With segregated schooling, students are less typecast and often study subjects not typically associated with their gender, like math and science for girls, and the arts and languages for boys. In all, the National Association of State Boards of Education noted positive outcomes from single-sex education for both sexes, including “higher reading and foreign language achievement, less sex-stereotyped course taking patterns, more time spent on homework, higher educational aspirations, and decreased sex-role stereotyping."

The phenomenon has many ramifications, but underneath it lies a simple explanation. At an early age, girls and boys exhibit developmental and cognitive differences (Kimura). Boys usually mature later than girls, and have shorter attention spans. Girls exhibit more language complexity from early childhood, and prefer contextualized learning more than boys do. Boys tend to favor visual learning, while girls favor auditory learning. Each gender has specific skill sets, and sex-integrated environments prevent teachers