Pros And Cons Of Single Gender Education

When people think of school classrooms, their first thought is of boys and girls together as a group of students. However, educational experts are now questioning whether it would be more beneficial for each gender, of all ages, to attend single-gender schools. Even though some experts are pro single-gender classrooms, there are others who are against this type of schooling.

With regards to single-gender education, it was common in the United States prior to the 19th century (Bracey, 2007). The curriculum was formed by the community’s views of the necessary knowledge based on the gender of the student. Typically males were more educated than females to prepare them for college-level academics and work beyond the home. Girls were educated

The reasons given for these types of classrooms are, first, it would eliminate distraction between the genders, especially during the teenage years when hormones are raging. Secondly, there would be less stereotyping, such as, girls feeling pressure to compete with boys in male-dominated subjects, such as math and science and boys would be able to show an interest in “feminine” subjects such as music and poetry. A third reason for single-gender classrooms is that teachers would be able to use instruction techniques geared toward a single gender, and lastly, boys would not hold girls back, since girls mature faster than boys. While the reasons to change classrooms to single-gender classrooms make sense to some, there are also reasons as to why classrooms should stay as coed classrooms. One main reason to not change classrooms into single-gender is that if genders are not mixed together in schools, boys and girls would have a difficult time adjusting to mixed-gender society when they get older and have jobs. Another reason is that teachers are not formally trained to teach gender-specific lessons, and a third reason is that since boys mature more slowly than girls, there would not be any girls to positively influence them. Furthermore, “the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) states that single-gender education is illegal and discriminatory”

Encourage them with quick praise, cut down on written tasks, and use models and rubrics they can follow. Challenge them—boys thrive on competition.

• Keep a close eye on boys, but let them play. Without a physical outlet, their aggressiveness will show up elsewhere inappropriately. Thus, provide large spaces for boys when possible.

• Lessons should be kinesthetic and experiential. Use a variety of manipulatives. Be aware of ambient temperature—try to keep the boys from warmer areas in the classroom. Males do not hear as well as girls, so move them closer to the instruction.

GIRLS

• Girls work well in groups when they are facing one another or the teacher. Find activities that allow them to help the teacher. Don’t protect girls from activities that may cause them to get dirty or skin their knees a bit, which could promote “learned helplessness.” Safe-risk activities provide opportunities for girls to take calculated risks.

• Girls do not respond well to loud, sharp, short tones. They prefer softer voices. Girls enjoy tying lessons into emotions. They respond to descriptive phrases. Loud, repetitive noise can be distracting and disturbing to