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Original poster

What is the feminist view on single sex education?

165 replies

MummyBerryJuice · 14/05/2011 21:10

I was educated privately in South Africa at girls-only schools largely because my parents wanted me and my brother to be educated in a multiracial setting and during Apartheid state schools were segregated. I have always felt that this was an advantage to me and the other girls as we were under less pressure to conform to girly stereotypes I never experienced any of the commonly held prejudices such as 'girls are better at English and drama and boys are better at maths and physics' etc.

However, now that I am a mum myself and am thinking about the future education of my own children (who currently are only 16 months old and in utero Grin) I am starting to wonder whether the separation of sexes in education (admittedly not state - which is where our children will be going) is not just another way in which the patriarchy removes women from the mainstream?

OP posts:
RamblingRosa · 14/05/2011 22:41

I was always anti all girls schools. Not particularly because I thought them unfeminist but just because i didn't like the idea of segregation and always thought it was best for both sexes to mix. I went to a mixed comprehensive and couldn't really imagine doing anything different.

However, I now live in an area where literally the local state girls secondary is "outstanding" and all the other local mixed comps are struggling.

I also know that girls do better academically in single sex schools. Especially at subjects that are traditionally perceived as "boys'" subjects.

DD's only 3 but, assuming we're still living here and none of the other local schools has caught up with the oustanding girls' school, I'll be hoping she goes there.

I'm not entirely convinced it's a feminist issue though. OP, you ask whether it's just another way that patriarchy removes women from the mainstream but I'm not sure how all-boys schools fit into that argument.

scarlettsmummy2 · 14/05/2011 22:32

My brother did both co ed and all boys grammar in Belfast for a levels. He often says he wishes he had went to the all boys earlier as he absolutely loved it, the teachers geared classes to boys interests and he was mad about rugby. But if you look at it from the feminist perspective it probably instilled all the wrong things and he is a bit of a chauvinist and charmer!

bedlambeast · 14/05/2011 22:31

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scarlettsmummy2 · 14/05/2011 22:29

single sex appeals to me for my daughter as I would quite happily keep her away from boys until she is eighteen! I remember being boy mad at school, co-ed, and all the arguments I had with my female friends were about boys! I do wonder if that would have been the case if I had gone to an all girls. My mother also went to an all girls school and she still raves about it and she is pushing sixty. She tried to move me to the same one after the eleven plus but I refused.

peeriebear · 14/05/2011 22:28

I went to an all girls' grammar and it was very much geared towards being the best we could all be. Much was made of self-respect and working hard. In fact a famous female political figure was head girl there in her day! I think I did a lot better than I would otherwise have done in a mixed school.
Conversely, my brother went to the all-boys' grammar and hated it. He left with few qualifications even though he is very clever- he just wasn't suited to it.

Original poster
MummyBerryJuice · 14/05/2011 22:22

Is there any actual theory out there about this though? Or is it not really a feminist issue?

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Original poster
MummyBerryJuice · 14/05/2011 22:10

I see your point about it being decent preparation for life bedlam but I never felt any pressure to conform either (well except for the 2 years I spent in a co-educational state secondary between girl's schools - and yes, the pressure did come from the girls, but it felt to me to be because of the presence of the boys that the girls exerted t e pressure, IYSWIM)

And I was far more vocal and strident about equality issues once I got to university than any of my co-educated 'sisters'.

My experience leads me to believe that I was able to form a more certain view of who I was before entering into the jaws of tertiary education (where incidentally, I was first presented with the idea that girls 'don't do physics').

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bedlambeast · 14/05/2011 22:03

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scarlettsmummy2 · 14/05/2011 22:02

Yes, it is very difficult. Girls undoubtedly do better academically at single sex, however I can totally see the point that there is more to education than four As at A level.

bedlambeast · 14/05/2011 21:58

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Original poster
MummyBerryJuice · 14/05/2011 21:57

That's always been my idea of the 'best of both worlds'. However, regardless of what we end up doing (and if we have a daughter I'll be very tempted to send her to single sex) I'd like to explore the ideas around it...

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DaisyHayes · 14/05/2011 21:51

Gah. This is so difficult. For me it is truly an area where the theory and the practise are difficult to reconcile. Can I sacrifice my childrens' wellbeing for my principles?

I have a son and a daughter. My DP will home educate them (they are currently under 5) but I haved worked for a decade as an English teacher in a state comprehensive.

If we were to to send them to school wewould send my son to a mixed school and my daughter to a single sex school. Clearly if everyone wanted to do this the whole system would collapse.

scarlettsmummy2 · 14/05/2011 21:38

That is a very good question. I am about to start my dd at an all girls prep school when she is three in december (starting in jan in nursery class). I was very impressed by the facilities and excellent academic results, girls can stay until eighteen. But I handnt thought about it from a feminist perspective so will be interested to see what others think.

Original poster
MummyBerryJuice · 14/05/2011 21:38

That's how I feel too about having daughters. Wanting them to be able to have the freedom to choose who they are and want to be without the pressures that go along with stereotypes etc.

But I have a son (and a foetus) and I don't know if it sends the right message to boys?

And I don't think that it is right that girls should have to be educated separately to receive the same treatment and opportunities as boys. As you can see, my ideas are not yet fully crystallised but I'd really like to explore them on here, from a feminist perspective.

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SarfEasticated · 14/05/2011 21:33

I'm not a regular poster here but I went to a girls grammar school back in the 70's and thoroughly enjoyed it. We were allowed to be ourselves and encouraged in every subject, and expected achieve the best we could. I felt I was given every opportunity to do well. The careers advice was a bit antiquated, but would it probably be a lot more rounded today.
I would send my daughter to a girls school if the opportunity arose, and she wanted to go.