Single-Sex Classes: Do they work?
59 Comments Published by clay January 2nd, 2009 in State and Local Politics.
Does single-sex classes result in increasing academic achievement and/or additional benefits?
CLAYTON COUNTY: Single-sex classes being considered
Atlanta, Ga.: Dec 9, 2008. pg. C.7
Abstract (Summary)
Superintendent John Thompson told the school board Monday night that he is looking into the benefits of separating students by gender to increase academic achievement.
More Clayton County students could find themselves in single-sex classrooms next year.
Superintendent John Thompson told the school board Monday night that he is looking into the benefits of separating students by gender to increase academic achievement.
“Gender-based education is nothing new,” Thompson said.
“This is going to be something we can utilize.”
In August, the district added its first all-male academy at North Clayton High School.
The program started with 41 boys in sixth and seventh grades, but has expanded to 87 boys.
The boys have single-sex classes for their main academics, but are with girls for lunch, gym, art and music.
Some parents said they were disappointed and surprised Clayton was eyeing single-sex classes. The all-male academy never went before the school board and was approved solely by the superintendent.
“This is a public school. Even the military doesn’t divide by sex,” Riverdale resident Linda Granger said. Clayton is one of the only public school systems in Georgia to have all-male classes, said deputy Superintendent Judith Simmons.
In August, Greene County Schools abandoned a plan to become the first school system in the nation to be entirely segregated by sex after complaints from parents. The school system, which is headed by former Clayton superintendent Barbara Pulliam, now has optional single-sex classes in third grade.
WTH?! are you serious??? This would not work. For years woman faught for the right to be treated equally and have the same rights academically as any other man. This included the fact that when it came to schools they were segregrated by gender. I am not saying that the “Single-Sex Classes” are a result of sexism but what would be the point. As a world we have come to find that the greatest lessons are those that we learn from one another. Being in a classroom in which both genders provides the ability to interact and learn from one another. This article has does not provide a basic reason to establish these types of schools plus if a parent felt the need to put their children in single sex classrooms then thats what we have all boy/girls schools..too costly? get a scholarship.
this could work! Imean yah its stupid because for years people have strived to stop segregation of race and also of gender, but honestly thinkk about it. I know some people in class are more interested in boys or girls than actually paying attention. In my school we have a lot of time to do what ever like during project work the teachers give us the responsibility to manage our own time, That time can be used wrong, but hey we would never know unless we try it. I’m not saying i would want to be the first to try it, but mayboe for a day just to see what it would be like. Honestly i dont know how it would turn out. I know if i was in room with all my guy friends in might get a little loud and talk-ative. but like i said i dont know if it would work
That is the stupidest idea I have ever heard. Women fought to be treated the same as men, so why would you seperate them. That’s almost the same as seperating race. My mother was the first African American and third WOMAN in the Kiwanis Club of Pomona. Three women in one club?!!?!? Before, women or African-Americans were NOT excepted in the Kiwanis Club period and then women and African American’s fought to change it. Seperating women and men is just going back into history, which is pathetic. Why go backwards?!? We do not need a freaking rewind when it is not needed. And I know for a fact that being in a all girls school would not change my learning at all. What school really need are better teachers. Stupid teachers is the issue that needs to be fixed. Not sexes.
I don’t think its that stupid. I mean, they have private all boys schools and girls schools as of today. And they work. Seniors graduating from St. Lucy’s and Damien have kids going to some ivy league schools [which is kind of saying a lot considering how many kids our school gets into ivy league schools -- no offense, just saying].
In fact, I don’t think its that bad of an idea. I agree with Christian and I don’t think I would mind trying it either. I think the people who would see it as offending our rights and going backwards are just taking things a little out of proportion. I mean, this is simply a twist, an experiment or whatever have you, into our ever growing education system. We would never get anywhere if we didn’t try things differently. Why did we stop segregation in the first place? Not only because it was just, but also to try something new and experiment. Think outside the box, you know?
Sophronia, using teachers as a scapegoat is never the answer. Seriously. If students wanted to learn, they would learn. Especially Americans in this day and age who have the Internet and a plethora of other resources at our fingertips.
Something else I don’t know how much I agree with is Linda Granger comparing public schools to the military. She could have used a much better analogy because well, public schools aren’t the military [at least, as much as I know of the military which isn't really saying much].
ANYWAYS, I’ll leave by enclosing this website so that I don’t sound like some kind of arrogant prick like Christian, HAH — just kidding Christian.
http://www.singlesexschools.org/evidence.html
This is an interesting idea. On one side. This could cause students to focus more on their classes. Rather than the girl/boy they might like. But whose to say that they will focus with the other sex gone? A lot of times it is friends of the same sex that are distractions. I agree that it might cause them to pay attention more. But I am not really sure if it will improve their grades. I know someone from an all girls school and she doesn’t have the best of grades. I think it depends on the individual student and their drive to get good grades.
I think that if the two sexes are separated then this will cause a social skill problem. This might take away their ability to relate with the other sex and the ability to initiate conversation.
I feel like this isn’t a good idea. Like I said earlier, I believe it will cause an inability to relate or initiate conversation with the opposite sex.
This issue is definitely what I would call a double edged sword. Both sides have perks, but there are also cons. True if boys and girls were separated, you would not have to worry about boys messing with the girls and vice versa which would most likely prevent the students from being able to concentrate fully on what they are trying to learn. At my junior high school they tried single sex class of girls for one of the 4th period classes to see how it would work. Consequently, the girls who took this class had a much easier time concentrating and had higher grades than girls who took this class during a different period with boys. On the other hand there is a social impact to look at. If boys are not around girls at school, the time of the day when a male is typically exposed to the female persuasion the most, they might have trouble socially connecting with girls if they are constantly isolated from them for the majority of the day and the same can be said for girls with socially interacting with boys. Whichever way you go, there are pros and cons. One side has higher education scores, and the other better social development. Which side is right, or is it possible for both to be right?
Eh. I dont know if this would be a good idea or not. First off the article only is explaining about a school district thats going to start same sex classes but this is only telling us their plans not actual evidence or data that it will work. I really dont know how to answer this question because I personally have never had any friends who go to an all boy or girl school and I have never been in one so I cant say “yes this is a good idea or no this is bad becasue..”. I think what Madelyn said was true about “sexes are separated then this will cause a social skill problem” but at the same time it might not be true because they will still have lunch and other classes that are mixed boys and girls. But maybe in the long run it may affect their social skills if they were separated when they are in the younger classes.
I don’t think this is going against women rights at all. I can see why people would assume that… by not reading the article. They still have several all girls colleges around, their is one in Claremont (about 30 min bus ride from Ipoly). I don’t see why other people are getting all huffy over women right, this isn’t keeping anyone from an education. It’s just separating the boys from the girls. Which has it’s pros and cons (like everything else). People wouldn’t see how different viewpoints can be just from what sex you are. However, I’m sure it would help students pay more attention, but that’s not always true. So in some cases it could work, but then the student might not know what to do when he see’s a females view point on something and it just seems absurd to him. If that makes any sense anyways.
So this has nothing to do with stomping on women rights, calm down.
I would not say that this would be a violation against women rights. But I will say that I know that history has shown us that there is no such thing as “separate, but equal.” There is a strong argument that single-sex schools already exist, but single-sex schools are also considered private schools which means they are not government ran/funded. So all the state codes that exist for education, basically only apply to public schools. Private schools run on a different charter, so they can have single-sex schools because they do not have to abide to “free and equal public education.” Plus, this article fails to address the issue of why they think that this would benefit the students. We infer that it is because male and and female students are a distraction to one another, but that ideology fails to take in consideration students with different sexual preferences. Just as having a crush on the boy sitting next you can be a distraction for one girl, so can sitting next to her female crush be a distraction. There is no way to clearly define what is a distraction to one student and what is to another. Since, what distracts each student varies from student to student. The best way to maximize the learning experience of students is to adhere to their individual needs. But that is not yet possible in our education system. But separating classrooms by sex is kind of a half-cocked idea. What studies or facts does this article state about the correlation between success in the classroom with and without the presence of students of the opposite sex? It seems the superintendent based this idea on his own personal views rather than universal views. As someone else mentioned, there is also the social aspect to take in account. The outside world is not separated by male and female, besides restrooms, which is for obvious reasons. But encounters with the opposite sex our inevitable in the world we live in. Some people don’t like that and in some parts of the world there are strict laws set in place to try and separate the sexes. For example, woman not being able to show their hair is a form of separation by gender. They feel that the woman’s mane is too much of a distraction to their male counterparts and brings on unclean thoughts and violent behavior. We may scoff at this, but it is based on the same basic principle of separating classrooms by sex. Anything can be interpreted radically, and that is when things turn for the worse. So, no I’m not going to scream that this is some violation of woman’s rights, (but it is possibly unconstitutional) but I will say that it is not a well-thought out idea and that is why I think it did not succeed in Clayton County.
I think that separating the girls from the boys has its ups and downs. First of all there would be less distractions for both sexes. Being teenagers we tend to get off topic and get distracted by the slightest of details. Removing boys from girls and girls from boys. I’m not saying that things have to be changed completely, maybe half the classes could be an all one sex and the other half mixed. There wont be any social awkwardness and grades will improve. There is always that little detail of segregation and how there has been a lot of fighting for mixed class rooms but if it’s going to help people improve I think it would be a good idea.
I really wouldn’t be able to answer the question; Single-Sex Classes: Do they work? because I have found arguments from both sides but they are equally reasonable. For example an article for single sex classes mentioned that the students get distracted with the opposite sex and there seems to be more sexual harrasment cases. But then those who are pro for coed classes say that having both sexes is better because the world isn’t segragated so why should the schools be that way. Another pro that they talk about is that it’s good that both sexes interact and share their oppinions with one another, and see if they could find a solution that pertains too both of the students when their is a disagreement between one of their answers. Personally I would rather be in a coed school because I feel like I can learn a lot from them. A lot of times the girls ideas make more sense to me than the boys, so now I see that its not the case of seperation of the sexes but just if the individual student themselves are willing to take the time to handle his studies like they’re suppose to.
http://advancedacademics.blogspot.com/2007/07/single-sex-classrooms-do-they-work.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/apr/27/schools.uk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-sex_Education
http://www.brighterchoice.org/index.php?id=29#girls
If there is a final hour:
The idea of same-sex classes is really ridiculous. I mean I don’t feel it is really going against women rights because the boys are getting separated too, but I mean it is so ridiculous because the fact that students don’t necessarily get distracted by the opposite sex but by their friend which in 95% of cases are same-sex friends. Because I know that I really don’t get distracted by “boys” in that way but with friends there is just so much to talk about. Sometimes I do get distracted, but it is not because of the opposite sex being in my class. And for those boy/girls that do get distracted by the opposite sex probably don’t realize they are and just need to be reminded where they are and why their there; to succeed in LIFE.
I think that Jonh Thompsons hadn’t really looked/researched the connection of gender in schools. Currently there are private schools that are same-sex in all aspect, like Pomona Catholic is an all girls school. To compare the level of achievement of the same-sex school vs the traditional ways of co-ed, one would find that really isn’t any difference.
As for Linda Granger saying that the military doesn’t even separate men from woman I totally agree. Cause both genders go into the military for the same reason, to fight in a war and they would need the same training due to the fact their fighting the same battle. The same concept goes for school. Both genders go to school for the same purpose to get an education to prepare them for the future.
Well I guess separating gender in school could be kind of beneficial because girl/boys do have completely different mentalities. But i dont know I guess I’m kind of changing my opinion. I really dont know how that situation would work out. To really know i guess it would have to be tested.
Well I dont know if this would really work or not because sure the students, once they get seperated from the opposite sex then they might pay attention more but just because they are not there anymore doesnt mean that they wont talk to their friends from the same sex. They will just goof off and talk with there own friends. Unless if all their friends were made up of the opposite sex so i dont really know if this would help make kids pay attention more. It might help them focus a bit more but it is totally up to the individual if they want to learn or not. On the other hand by seperating classes by sex at an early age well then it might have a slightly negative effect because then the kids wont necessarily have the best social skills with the opposite sex and so it might be awkward. I dont know. This topic has its pro’s and con’s for it so I cant really decide if I would necessarily agree with them changing the classes. Also if they seperate schools by single sex then you would probably have to pay but in this case they are only seperating classes and they will be mixed for lunch so its not like they will be seperate all the time. I dont really have a certain view on one side that I would totally agree on so I really dont care.
My first thought with single-sex schools is literally “ew”. I really don’t have anything against the ways of single-sex schooling, it just really isn’t for me. However, I’ll try to keep my bias to a minimum.
I know little to nothing about being educated in a single-sex environment. I have several friends who attend Damien High and know that my mom attended a ladies only high school. What I have observed academically of my friends who attend Damien is that they do very well in school: they usually have high grades in the AP and Honor classes they are enrolled in and got very high SAT & ACT scores [the highest of my circle of friends]. Socially, they aren’t left out – they have sister schools who are also single-sexed (St. Lucy’s) and have many friends of the same and opposite sex. My mom also reminisces of her high school years fondly because of the bonding she developed with the girls at her school. Unlike I-Poly, many schools fail to foster the family/community feeling, but I sense this can be found at a single-sex school.
Overall, it just appears to me to be a different learning environment. It can be for many people or like for myself, just not work. I doubt anyone can really prove it to be unsuccessful.
“Sophronia, using teachers as a scapegoat is never the answer. Seriously. If students wanted to learn, they would learn. Especially Americans in this day and age who have the Internet and a plethora of other resources at our fingertips. ” -Hannah
Oh, I’m sorry. Of course, I’m so feebleminded.
About having this whole single-sex classes, I’m kind of agreeing with both sides because I agree that we do have some single-sex schools, those all girls and all boys schools, which do work because they still are able to become successful after graduating. Why would those students keep attending those schools if that school wasn’t working out. But also i think they should give females and males the equality that they deserve, and it shouldn’t be stopped because of classes even if it can work with mixed genders involved in classes. Also their concentration with their work may be affected because of the student having their friend or that certain someone that they “like” in that class and may be wanting to talk to them and put their work aside, but either way i think that it will happen because whichever class you may be in you try to make friends. So it really depends on the student themselves on how they want to approach their attention and responsibilities.
ok so same sex class rooms would be the biggest mistake a school could make.
number one when you get a bunch of girls together all they do is bitch about each other and cause stupid drama. you need to throw some boys in the mix to even things out.
all girls in one class= bad news bears!!!!
Same sex class? It seems intresting, for the simple fact that its a change. But still i disagree with it. Having the same sex in one room, like all boys or all girls, at time causes distraction. For example, drama, fights, and or various disagreements. I mean theres a reason why both genders exist, and thats to be able to interact with one another not to be seprated. Like my dad says if you know whats important and you know what youre suppose to do you’ll do it. So if people think having a mix in class is a distraction, like Superintendent John Thompson, theyre wrong. And if this starts happening, single sex classes, whats next single sex bus rides. In a way its stupid, and i disagree with it all the way.
I doubt that the separation of sexes in school is a good idea. School is there to help children prepare for the real world. If this segregation does occur, the future generations will not be able to interact with women/men as comfortably as they would with their same gender, so this will affect the development of the children’s social skills. When boys are required to socialize with girls, neither of them will be able to be completely productive because they will be in an awkward situation. School should teach children about the real world, in a work environment there are both genders working together, so students should be comfortable in all surroundings. Both genders also feed off each other. If the classes are separated, it will mean that the girls will not hear the boy’s trail of thought in certain ideas and the boys will not hear what the girls think on certain subjects. Both genders working together may be better than having one group of students that do not give different ideas. It would be interesting to experiment and see how one school day goes by when the genders are separated. The statement that was made about gender separations being similar to the military is harsh. I do not know much of how the military works, but I strongly disagree that public schools are like the army. But, I would still want to know how this would work. There are many statements made that the Public School System is in bad shape, so we should try new approaches to teaching.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Of course, I’m so feebleminded.”
_Sophronia
It’s okay. I forgive you. :]
And I never said that you were. But if you say you are, then who am I to contradict you?
And at Dylan — but don’t girls usually have the most drama when it comes to boys, over boys, about stupid boys? So maybe if you took them out of the mix it’d be a different atmosphere entirely.
But this is kind of beside the point, don’t you think? These girls and boys will only be separated for core classes but will be together for lunch, gym, and art. So wouldn’t that make a difference as well? It’d be like going to iPoly for all four core classes but instead of the houses being divided by the compass rose, they would be divided by two houses full of girls and two houses full of boys; and afterward going to PE/Spanish/Elective/Lunch with both genders.
Get it?
I don’t think this is a very good idea. Everyone should be treated equally and we should have the right to be around different gender. Mostly all the schools have the mixture of genders and it would be very difficult to change that. School is supposebly to prepare us for the outside life and in the socia life we will have to deal with both genders no matter what and in a way we are getting prepared now. Also having the same sexes separated can also cause more drama between them since not having a mixture of genders can be more frustrating. As of now I don’t see this a problem or why they need to find a solution. If this occur I think that there would be more problems among everyone because it could be considered discrmination. I really hope this isn’t enforced ever because I really think is a dumb idea and that it won’t work and hopefully they don’t think of enforcing it now or ever.
Well, first of all, when your are going to try something for the very first time there is a an equal chance that you will suceed and/or fail. For example when you were learning to ride your bicycle for the very first time you had to fall a few times before you actually knew how to ride it while keeping your balance. What I mean by this is that how do we know that this idea on single-sex classes will not work if we havent even tried it. True it was tried at CLAYTON COUNTY, but for such a short amount of time it almost doesn’t count for anything. I’m not saying that it is the most brilliant idea ever thought of because it does have its ups and downs and it doesn’t have any facts to back it up, but I am saying that it wouldn’t hurt, “My feminist rights” to try it either.
I think that single sex classes won’t change anything. The ability to pay attention and get good grades comes from the want to do good. Even some of the people we consider geniuses failed some of their classes, not because they were distracted but because they were bored and didn’t try. Most kids get distracted by their friends who are the same gender. This means that single sex classes won’t separate the groups of friends that are loud and obnoxious.
NO this cannot work boys need chicks in classes and chicks need boys thats just the way
we may always fight but deep inside we want each other. I say both genders learn and develop better communication skills like this. Lots of times when girls go to an all female school and boys go to an all male school they do not know how to deal or talk to the opposite gender. i have many friends that have attended all boys and all girl school and they definetly lack the social skills then that of the students that go to normal public high schools. I say a good environment leads to good learning there for we should do what needs to be done.
I would think that single-sex class rooms would be a good idea to boost academic achievement because some guys get distracted when there are girls in the classroom and they try to interact with them and flirt. Also, since only the main classes would be split up between sexes and the rest of the time be spent with whomever the people want, then I believe this would be a good idea.
And I also went to the link that hannah posted in her response because I couldn’t find any other links and guess what! The studies done by Cambridge University shows that single-sex classrooms do prove to be effective! The boys grades went up in English and Foreign Language classes while the girls improved in math and science. I believe the question was “Do single-sex classes result in increased academic achievement” So my answer would have to be yes, yes it does =).
AFTER READING THE ABSTRACT AND SOME OF MY CLASSMATES ANWERS, I HAVE COME UP WITH A CONCLUSION: IDK. BOTH SIDES HAVE VERY STRONG ARGUMENTS AND IT IS VERY HARD TO DECIDE WHICH WAY IS THE WAY TO GO. THERE ARE MANY FACTS ABOUT HOW IT MIGHT BE POSITIVE AND ABOUT HOW IT MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD IDEA, I BELIEVE THAT THE SYSTEM WE HAVE NOW SET UP FOR OURSELVES IS WORKING AS IT SHOULD BE AND SHOULD NOT BE TAMPERED WITH. SURE THE MALES ARE DISTRACTED BY THE FEMALES BUT WHEN ARENT THEY DISTRACTED BY THEM??
Well, I personally don’t like the idea of being in one of those same-sex schools, but i can see why it would prove more effective. Teenagers do get distracted with opposite sexes, it is nothing new. in same-sex schools you can focus more on your school work i suppose. But i also think they should not enforce it in public schools. if you want an all boy or an all girl school there are private schools for that.
AND OMG THERE JUST WAS A 5.0 EARTHQUAKE HERE IT WAS SCARY EVERYTHING WAS SHAKING!!!! =O
ok, this is not as bad of an idea that everyone says it is . i mean as of right now i know of three schools that are either all boys or all girls. Damien, St. Lucy’s, and Pomona Catholic. Old friends attend there and say that it’s ok. One of the reason’s my dad wanted me to go there was so that i wouldn’t be distracted and be more serious. & in the article is says they’re going to have lunch together. So really they only don’t see them in the classroom setting. and like hannah said a lot of the ppl who attend those schools do go to ivy league schools. my mom and aunt went to Pomona Catholic and they both went to Pomona College [Claremont Colleges, since some people don't know that. haha]. so really this idea could work.
I think gender based classes will be beneficial in the long run both socially and academically, especially in males. The reasoning behind my logic is because unlike females, males seem to have a more difficult time bonding on more personal levels. All male classes would provide the opportunity males are lacking now-a-days to bond, without the fear of being considered “gay” or “sensitive”.
Single sex classes have a long list of benefits but, with moderation. Each gender should have time allotted to them in each day to mingle and single sex based schools should be an optional choice for its district student, not a mandatory. Unconventional educational environments (I-Poly included) take time to catch on and will never fully be accepted however their existence is appreciated at least by me =]
Hannah- umm well all girls are bitches so i think that if you had a class room full of them it would be hell. thats what i think
if you don’t feel that way its fine
Learning how to interact with each other ESPECIALLY of the opposite sex is something that takes much trial & error and essentially a lot of practice. By separating the genders, yes maybe we would be eliminating a common juvenile distraction (which the article does lack to express) but as a result, we would be robbing the students of what may bee an essential time to learn. A time to begin understanding the opposite sex, since the chances of encountering them in the workplace and the future are not going to lessen. Also, one of the most obvious reason that students go to school IS to help equip them for jobs and the work environment, so wouldn’t we be disarming them from vital tools by the separation.
As for having core classes be separated, and more elective classes co-ed I feel would cause the students to be substantially more disrupted in the mixed classes after being divided. It may also allow them to be more inclined to discredit or not take the coed classes as serious. If a school were to choose to separate, I feel it would be best to be all or not instead of dabbling in both aspects.
Nevertheless, I would have to agree with most of my peers and say NO to the classroom division simply because there was not enough information to say why the provision needs to be put into place, if it is effective or not, and who specifically it would help.
I think a lot of students are stuck on the idea of boys being a distraction to girls and vice versa. I don’t even think that’s the main point of separating the sexes. Boys and girls learn and communicate in different ways. If schools really used valuable research related to the differences, then having single-sex classrooms could be a good idea. Being separated doesn’t mean they will not get the same quality of education, especially if the same teachers teach boys and girls. http://themarketingguy.wordpress.com/2008/11/12/5-ways-men-and-women-communicate-differently/ For example, number 2 on that list says men just want the facts. Wouldn’t it make more sense to teach them that way? And if women tend to generate more conversation, then wouldn’t it make sense for girls to have more discussions? I also don’t think that the social skills arguement is relevant. If the schools have both boys and girls why wouldnt they socialize outside of the classroom, its not like class time made soley for students to socialize, regardless of how some people treat it like it is. The college I am going is an all-women’s school. One of the questions the girls say they get asked a lot is about the fact that there are no boys AT ALL on the ENTIRE CAMPUS, but the girls said that they really don’t notice. If you want to interact with guys you go out there and make friends with people. I think thats a better way for social interaction. Really, if people are socially awkward and you force them to communicate, it doesn’t mean that they will magically learn to be normal in a social situation. Another thing that the girls said is that it is better to not have to compete for help or attention in male-dominated subjects, like math and science. From what I felt when I visited, I didn’t think that there was more drama, but actually much less drama. It seemed like the girls were more bonded to each other; more like a family.
I like the idea of single-sex learning situations and think that they should be given a chance. Of course I don’t think that all schools should impiment this, but a few could try it so that more research can be done. It’s like I-Poly, we are gerbils (not that i support animal testing) for project based learning.
Does single-sex classes result in increasing academic achievement and/or additional benefits?
personally i dont think it really changes anything. i think the school board wants to seperate sexes and think that all the girls will know end up going to harvard or something crazy like that. education is a choice. everyone can go to school, but its your choice to sit there and talk to your neighbor or sit there and learn no matter who’s sitting by you male or female. please and thank you.
http://www.singlesexschools.org/evidence.html
i really dont see what the big deal about this same sex class room stuff is, i mean we already have schools that are like this. theyre not that bad. i personaly would not send my son or daughter to an all girls school or an all boys one though. the reason why is because in life we deal with both genders and we need to experience working with both males and females. i dont think that by sending them to a same sex school doesnt mean theyre going to be totally shut out from the opposite sex dont get me wrong but they wont get the same experiences. i think they might be more sheltered to their same sex. but in the end we already have schools like that and theyre not that bad but i think leaving things the way they are is fine. =)
I do agree that separating students into classes based on gender may help academically. Hannah mentioned that many students from St. Lucy’s and Damien were getting accepted into Ivy leagues. They have a great chance at learning because they are not as distracted by the opposite sex.
But what happens afterward? What happens when the student leaves there surroundings that they were in? They are going to be surrounded by the opposite sex in classes and the working field. They may not know how to work in that kind of environment, and it may affect them worse in the long run.
Students in schools with both genders may get distracted at first, but we soon learn to work with what we have. We learn to work with all kinds of different people with different personalities. If students are not surrounded by the opposite sex at first, and then are surrounded by them later, will their work be affected then?
I think that learning to work with both sexes at a young age is essential to adapt to whatever situation we are put in. I would rather learn something at a young age, than grow up not knowing how to handle the situation. In the long run, I would not recommend putting my child in a single sex class.
Single-sex classes, would they work? An overall look at this would show that the classes could work. I mean there are less distractions. So students will be able to focus more on their studies. The fact that you could be able to study more on your studies will increase chances of students to get into elite schools. But what about the after effects? If girls are surrounded in an environment filled with girls, they are only trained to work with girls, or they are more comfortable around them. Same with the guys. After school is over and they get a job out in the real world, they are going to be confused and not know how to work with the opposite sex. Single sex classes will help academic wise but in the long run it’ll take a toll on the lives of the students.
I honestly don’t know if having same sex classes will truly make a difference academically. I mean if there is a reason a boy is not doing so good in school, and then is put in an all boy class, what are the chances his grades will improve? I understand when people say that girls and boys get distracted from each other and that’s why they don’t pay attention in class, but if the person can get distracted from another person, then they will usually find something else to get distracted by and the cycle will continue if that makes any sense. The fact that parents get really mad, like they did with Clayton, will just discourage any schools from even trying it. Same sex classes do work and can work if the school wanted to do it. When i say it will work, i mean by the fact that the students won’t revolt or not go to school anymore. I don’t necessarily think it will accomplish the goal of raising grades. Maybe if the student has gone to same sex school or classes their own academic life then maybe they will have better grades than if they went to a traditional school. I hope some of this at least made sense.
When I first saw the question, I thought it was kind of stupid and pointless. But after reading the article, I understand that the separation is not for all the classes, but for main academics only. And for music, art, lunch, and gym, they will still be in the same classroom. So it really isn’t a big deal. One of my classmates (forgot who) says he/she did research on separating gender works, like both gender success in different areas. To be honest, I wouldn’t want to be in that situation. Because there are might be problems within the same sex. There are ups and downs to the situation, but if it proves to works, it is worth a try.
ok. so i say no to school for different sexes. to those already existing, hopefully both sides are learn at the same rate.
but my worry is what happens to them socially. i have some friends from pomona catholic… and they just scare me. all they do is talk about boys (all. effin. day. long.). they flirt with everyone they see. And if we watch a movie, they fall in love with every single guy, even if he’s a total jerk in the movie.
oh, and they have boyfriends, but i think they’re totally just in it so they can say, ‘OMG! i have a BF!”
then there are their “boyfriends” from damien high school. So i only talked to this guy from there for like half an hour and he asked me out and i was like, “what the heck? i only said like five things to you! i don’t even know your name and you kinda creep me out and you get on my nerves!” (ok, i didn’t actually say that…)
so , yeah, they really don’t know how to act around the opposite sex.
I don’t know what to say about this because there are some schools that are an all boys school like damien high school and an all girl high like pomona catholic. The last time I checked from those schools, it is kinda ok so I guess that it would help if there schools with a same sex class. But another problem that I am having is that you can’t just have the same sex class thing in every single class. Just have some of the classes with the same sex and other classes with guys and girls. But other than that, I think that it would be ok to have same sex classes as long as it is not in every single class.
woah!!!!!!!!! now i think for sure me as a student will concentrate more if classes were single sex but if the school had no girls i wouldnt come to school haha because even though i poly girls are…..well you know i poly girls……they are the reason i come to school haha because like if i went to an all boy school i would be absent way more because what guy do you know wants to wake up every morning and go to a school full or testosterone and nothing but guys all day yea NOT ME thats for sure i need a girl to look at atleast at break but during class i need to concentrate haha peace and much love BOO’s
Having same sex would have kids concentrate more on the subject than the opposite sex. But when you separate kids they wouldn’t be able mingle with the opposite sex. It would be to awkward for them to talk and usually on girls mind at an all girl school is boys.
So why change the system when all they would actually thinking about is the opposite sex when they aren’t in the room.
I honestly think that it would help if genders were separated. When students think of all girls or all guy schools the only thing they think of is “OMG that sucks no guys!” or “OMG no girls!” Their main problem isn’t because the genders are segregated its because they don’t get to interact with the opposite sex. This could improve the students grades and they would concentrate more because they wouldnt be distracted by “relationship” issues. Another option is that this would totally ruin the school system because kids will find new ways to get distracted either phones or ipods or w.e the will find a new way to interact with the opposite sex.
I think it isn’t fair to the kids if single-sex classes are practice. I also think it wont make a difference on how they learn by making he learning environment single sex. I believe that its the students choice weather to do well in school or not. The only reason I could see for having single sex classes is the small issue of students and the boyfriends or girlfriends and them not focusing. But it isn’t like that will effect them for their entire school year or life.
I don’t really think having single-sex classes is such a big deal…
I agree with Hannah, and I don’t think single-sex classes would mean we are going backwards, ultimately I think it’s just a possible solution to poor achievement in school. i’ve gone to public school my whole life, but in elementary school there were a couple of days when the school taught same-sex classes. At that age I don’t think it mattered, but for teenagers I think a major feeling with administrators is that students get more distracted with the opposite sex. I don’t know how true it is because I agree with Christian, I think friends can be distracting enough.
I don’t think single-sex classes are such a bad idea, then again i wouldn’t want to go to an all girls school.
I do think that single sex classroom would be beneficial. First of all, since we are teenagers and our hormones are raging we are easily distracted by the opposite sex. Relationships happen in classroom and is a big distraction. It not only ruins the focus for them but for everyone else in the class. True, the military doesn’t segregate the sexes but they aren’t hormonally challenged. Girls worry about looking good or answering questions right to impress that certain someone and aren’t concentrated on their work. I think I would learn better in a single sex environment.
Well it sounds like a good idea but at the same time it is not. If you put all the boys in one class room it’s going to be difficult to control them. If putting boys in one room it’s going to be challenge because the teachers are going to have to be really strict on the boys. But if it is only going to be the main academics and then are going to be mixed with the girls in lunch, gym, art and music, then I think it might work out to increase their academic achievements. Well the parents shouldn’t be disappointed or surprise because if it’s for their own good then I don’t see were the parents could complain about it.
I along with many of my fellow classmates would have to say that i believe in a single-sex class environment. I believe that it would help students concentrate in school more than trying to impress the opposite sex… at the same time it is ultimately up to the student if they want to learn. If I had a choice now to go back in time, I think i would prefer to be in a single-sex class/ school because it would really have helped me concentrate in school..
I honestly don’t the an issue with keeping things the way they are. I don’t see a problem with co-ed schools. Parents and even sometimes students have the choice to attend an all boys or all girls school. If a student chooses to learn, they will. I don’t think that we should put the blame on sharing a school with the opposite sex. Yes we might care a little more about the way we look or even misbehave a little because we’re trying to impress someone but in the end i don’t think it has a HUGE effect on learning.
I really don’t think single sex classrooms are a good idea at all. There is a reason the school is coed and if they want students to be in single sex classes there are special schools that are all girls or all boys school. They system is made that way for a reason. The reason i believe it is a bad idea because then discrimination sets in. What if teachers teach girls something different than what they teach boys in classrooms or what if teachers favor boys over girls or vise versa? Then the system would be corrupt and students would not have an equal opportunity in the education field. An example of what i am trying to say is what if there was one teacher that believed in woman superiority then that teacher would teach the girls more than she taught the boys less than there would be a difference in equality when being educated and that isn’t right. so all in all i don’t think that single sex classrooms are a good idea and that discrimination would end up being a cause of single sex classrooms.
I really don’t think that it would make a difference in if a student learns or not if both genders were to be seperated. I’ve read a couple of my classmates reponces and i agree with most of them. Students who are failing, fail because it is their choice. There are schools out there made for people who want to attend a same sex environment and if they choose to not go and then blame it on the opposite sex for their capability of not learning, that is their issue. The U.S. is a nation that has been a successful one because we have options. We have the option to send our son or daughter or attend a private or public school. I believe that the way things are going are just fine.
I think that this issue is a major concern to a lot of parents trying to find a school to put their children in. I was listening to the radio a few days ago and they were talking about a mother trying to find good school to put her kid in. a women called in and was saying that she went to a private all girl school for most of her school years. She moved and her mother put her in the local public school. She did very well in all her classes but she went unnoticed at the private school they focused on school and college most of the girls were planning on going to really good schools but in public school they didn’t focused on much of the students or their futures. When she did go to college she lost her drive she had at the private all girls school. I think this situation really shows the difference between an all girl school and a coed school. The concentration levels of the students are probably higher in all boy/girl schools. I really believe that if you have the means to go to an all girl/boy school you should.
Link to Pros/cons of same sex schooling http://www.outsideofdreams.com/single_sex_education/pros_and_cons.htm
It is kind of up in the air what people would think about have a school that consists of the same sex. I personally don’t see a problem with boys and girls attending the same school. For some people it works and for others, it doesn’t. For some peoople it’s very helpful when it comes to their academics to not attend a school with the opposite sex because it may distract them. I do notice that when we attend schools with boys and girls, we tend to care how we look, sometimes a little more than school work..but i think the way things are is ok. =)
I honestly dont care. But if i put myself in that position then it would be different. I dont think that i would be used to a school of just one sex. I find it really weird i think that like ian said that for some people it actually does work and for others it doesnt. It also just depends on the schools that youhave attended prior like lets say if your in high school but then again its there opinion.
I dont see a problem on girls and boys attending the same school. When someone wants to learn they learn no matter what. I think that doesnt have nothing to do with their grades. People get all dress up for someone of the opposite sex in a regular school. Also in a regular school this may affect the students grades with relationship issues and more stuff, but either way the kids are going to have someone else outside of school. So I think that boys and girls school its ok.
I don’t see if girls attend an all girls school and boys attend an all boys school if it would be more efftive even if they had boys a girls in the same schools. To me it’s good how it is now, how we have a couple all boys school, and couple all girls school. Then you have the mixed gender schools. Some parents think it’s a big issue having boys and girls in the same schools but personally i don’t see the problem. Because either way they are going to have the same problems. For example, i know a girl who goes to an all girls school and she still deals with everything that i deal with on a daily bases when we go to TOTALLY different schools.
So i think that mixed gender schools are good, also it gives you a social opportunity to interact with not just your own gender but the opposite too! =D
I do not think this would actually work though I see where the principal is going. Most of the academic achievement comes from opposite sexes learning from each other. People see this as a bad idea once our hormones kick in so they think that the reason why many kids start failing is because they start caring more about boyfriends and girlfriends and forget about school work. Which I personally think its up to the student to make his/her choice to fail because of that or not. I mean come on why should we keep on babying them, if they want to fail then let them fail. Sooner or later kids need to realize that school is not about having boyfriends and girlfriends but interacting with different genders and learning from them because that is how its going to be in the real world.
So no I do not think different gender classes should take affect.
Honestly right now there are private schools that are single sex and as far as I know, they are in the top ranks. Now this would benefit because there are certain students that go to school to learn and to look at the girls. Im not saying that girls are a distraction but some guys are just stupid enough to let go of free education to talk to a girl when they can do that outside of class. Not is this fair or equal, my colleague Amanda Leon doesnt think so but really are we treating each gender differently. No we wouldn’t because both genders would get the same classes, same teachers, and same schedule. So what would really be done is decreasing the chance of distraction in the room. Now with no girls in the room and if the male is bored then there will be no other option then to at least look at the board and at least the student is getting some data in his brain. And i used the example of males but the distraction part also works with male affecting the female.