Have we ever had a single-sex v. co-educational debate?

single sex.... will justify it if I need to later on...

Single sex for girls; co-ed for boys

That's what I think, Cam. But who sacrifices their daughters just so those boys can get an education?

And yes, please do justify it Piffleofagus

I'm with Cam & fisil but would't be gutted if ds went to a boy's school and dd to a co-ed school.

IMO co-ed. I think it's just as important for children to learn how to socialise with members of the opp sex and see them as equals at all ages. However, I see it as more important when those children are in secondary education. Great friendships can be established at school with members of the opp sex and I think it gives kids space to examine their feelings before jumping in (in the case of relationships).

am too high on lager to justify now...

Co-ed all the way for me. I went to co-ed comp and DH went to single sex private. Whilst I agree in theory that kids in same sex schools may be more able to concentrate (less hormonal distractions to deal with), I feel wholeheartedly that the school experience is sooooo much more than just an academic education. The social and emotional interaction between both sexes during the teenage years is very important, IMO.

i believe coed and that;s what i want for ds but both dp and i were at singlesex secondary so not sure if i can justify. I still don't have a single close male friend and dp doesn't have any close female friends either.

meant that when i went to uni, all i wanted to do was 'meet' men. what a great 3 yrs....

Single sex for both at secondary and mixed for primary.

why hercules? You teach Y6, don't you? Do your students go onto single sex schools?

How about co-ed schools, but single-sex lessons in things like science, where boys tend to dominate, and English, where girls do.

They could combine for things like geog.

(Wouldn't like to try timetabling it though!)

Aren't there any normal schools out there anymore? (normal being that everyone can be accepted, everyone can go and it's a decent school which doesn't have some religious affilitation). Co-ed definitely. If you don't want to exclude a race or religion in education why would you want to exclude a sex?

I teach Secondary. Popsycal is Year 6.

I guess it's because I've taught in a girls school and now teach in a coed comp. I hated working in the girls grammer, it was just not my thing but I would rather my daughter go to a single-sex than mixed as I thought the girls were so unconcerned about looks etc unlike mixed schools. I thought it was really good how relaxed and at ease they were. It was the stuck up staff room and all the perfect behaviour that I couldnt hack.
My son is doing well in a mixed primary but he does like girls and I could see him being very easily distracted, showing off etc in a mixed secondary.
Our primary school feeds in to single sex as well.

Yeah, Janh, that would have done me a shitload of good, where I was the best. Would have left me the best of the girls. Which were second to the boys.

Our school did a trial top class where girls where taught science separately and it was a complete nightmare. The class was unteachable as the girls were far too busy gossiping and just didnt work in our school. Their results therefore did not improve but deteriorated. The boys were far more wild without the calming influence of the girls.
My school is only selective on location and is not a church school although it does get the local vicar in from time to time to pray with the kids. Completely stupid imo and I refuse to join in with the prayer and any hymns. THe kids have no choice.

And my school is the best non church/private/grammer school in the borough.

Did it occur to them to teach the students who excelled in science the science?

I think I'm missing something.

Err they were the top students..

Only girls were good enough for the top class? Impressive! I would have thought a mixed class of the top boys and girls would have gotten a better score.

No jj they took the top students who were normally in a mixed class and taught them separately.

In all the setted classes that I teach, from y7 to y11 (in science) the top sets are dominated by girls. And in general they are a delight to teach, keen, bright, pleasent, motivated and fun....and they boys aren't so bad either

In lower sets all children do worse, concentrate less and are generaly more disruptive.

I teach in a 'middle of the road' comp.

Why did they do that? It seems like they would lose half the input. A class at that level feeds off itself. Why wouldn't they keep the kids together?

We don't have single sex workplaces, tv programmes, families and social lives...so why schools?