Single Sex Education
Recently, there was an article in the New York Times that I found to be very interesting. It was on the topic of gender- based education. This has been a controversial topic for some time. But, it has become more popular amongst public schools lately, since in 2004 there was a federal regulatory change that gave public schools freedom to separate girls and boys. Until that time, it was mostly limited to private school education.
Under Title IX, the 1972 law that banned sex discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funds, single-sex classes and extracurricular activities were largely limited to physical education classes that include contact sports and to sex education. The new rules, first proposed by the Education Department in 2004, are designed to bring Title IX into conformity with a section of the No Child Left Behind law that called on the department to promote single-sex schools.
In the 2008-2009 school year, there will be 392 public schools in the U.S. with single-sex educational opportunities, although most of those schools only have single-sex classrooms and do not separate boys and girls on a school-wide basis.
After much research, I’m not sure that there are significant results.
These are some of the arguments in favor:
- Some studies show that boys and girls have different learning patterns and these differences can be addressed in a single-sex environment to ensure each gender is learning up to their potential, especially in underperforming schools.
- Single-sex schools diminish academic stereotypes and give freedom to boys and girls to pursue their interests despite what may seem “normal” for their gender.
- Some studies show that girls become more reclusive and tentative during their adolescent years while boys become more outspoken. Separate classrooms for girls could allow them to flourish and feel more comfortable participating in class.
These are some arguments against:
- Separate classrooms for separate genders may reinforce or encourage academic stereotypes, such as the idea that boys are better in the sciences and girls are better in the humanities.
- Same-sex schooling was originally established for women because they were seen as intellectually inferior to men, therefore, if they are separated from men once again, public schools could revert back to this sexist notion that women do not belong in the classroom with men.”
http://www.teacherscount.org/issues/singlesex/index.shtml
According to The Early Ed Watch Blog,
http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2008/problem-gender-based-education-2517
I’m going to list several links on this interesting topic for you to pursue. I hope that you will read them and come to your own conclusions about this controversial subject.
- The Problem With Gender Based Education
http://www.newamerica.net/blog/early-ed-watch/2008/problem-gender-based-education-2517 - Boys and Girls Together Taught Separately in Public School
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/education/11gender.html?_r=2 - K-12 Single Sex Education: What Do the Researchers Say?
http://www.ericdigests.org/2001-2/sex.html - Single Sex vs. Co-ed: The Evidence
http://www.singlesexschools.org/research-singlesexvscoed.htm
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