All girls/boys schools- did you go to one and would you want your kids to?

[lking679]

Just thinking about this, I went to an all girls high school and to be honest at university and beyond was really immature around and about boys. I only have sisters too.
Did you find the same and would you want your kids to go to an all girls or all boys school? I don’t think I want mine to!

@lking679 I think there's pros and cons to single sex and mixed. I and my husband both went to single sex schools and while I feel it was advantageous to me as I think boys being there would've crushed my confidence, my husband says he didn't know how to talk to girls from not having been around them. So I think it just depends on the personality!

I've worked in mixed and single sex (girls) I'm sending my daughter to single sex

Yes I did and I'm really not sure about what to think for my daughters who are now 9 and 5. Big academic advantages and I loved my time there, but agree that the lack of mixed socialising is a disadvantage that needs to be taken into account. Will watch the views on this post with interest.

@hedgehogger1

I've worked in mixed and single sex (girls) I'm sending my daughter to single sex

Can you elaborate on why please?

I just think it depends what you prioritise between the ages of 12-18 for girls. I prioritise my girls education without being harassed. The social side with boys comes as a second thing for me and can also be developed also when her intense education period has finished. She has the whole of her life for that. She gets one 6 year window to excel academically without harassment. But that’s my opinion and my choice for my DD.

I will also be sending my daughter to a single sex secondary school. She's at a mixed primary which is probably OK, but what I hear about boys in second level I will not tolerate for my child. And the apparent inability of schools to recognise or deal with abhorrent behaviour inspires no faith that they will improve. And she does not exist in this world to improve boys' behaviour.

I went to all girls school and it was fine, I like it and would have no qualms about sending my daughter to one.

My school was bitchy though. I can only speak about my own experience but for me the stereotype was true.

If ofsted show there is harrassment what are schools doing about it? That’s terrible?!
We were harassed on the bus to school though and also in 6th form when we could go out for lunch we were too. Coins thrown or getting our arses smacked by random too, all about our age though so guess other school kids. So not protected completely in a single sex school though that would have been worse if lessons where like that!
For me it was just I didn’t see blokes as people or people who could be friends I saw them as either fancying me and validating me or not. Obviously did a lot of growing up and work in a male dominated industry now and get on well with my colleagues! My parents didn’t go to single sex schools so maybe weren’t conscious of the effect.
My cousin went to an all boys and also said it was painful and frustrating not knowing how to talk to girls. My other cousin went to mixed and did great with the girls but not at school which was a shame but he’s done alright after training when he was older as an engineer.
Really interesting. I guess if you’re aware of the pros and cons you mitigate them. Might teach my girls about harassment and get them to watch that Amy Pohler (sp?) film on Netflix if they end up going to mixed, or trying to get them into a sports club with some boys there too if they go to all girls?!

If ofsted show there is harrassment what are schools doing about it? That’s terrible?!

Not much. Because it's pervasive and entrenched misogyny, much like in the rest of our society. Very hard to combat with little to no resources.

The Ofsted report was only released earlier this year. It's available to all if you want to look. You can then email a copy to your child's school and ask what they are doing about it. But I can almost guarantee you it will be lip service, a few assemblies and a pshe lesson, and will achieve fuck all. Not because schools don't care, but because no-one knows how to fix the effects that come from opening a sewer of violent porn in the middle of our society.

I went to an all girls junior school and an all girls grammar school. I was quite happy with it .

I really think it depends on the school
At my kids school we have had any serious offences dealt with with exclusions etc

I asked dd and she has had no experience of sexual harassment and certainly no inappropriate touching so I guess it's all down to the individual schools policy and actually dealing with offences.

But I agree the the violent porn online is a massive societal issue and I worry for women's safety and happiness going on decades to come.

Yes went to all girls high school. Bullying was terrible

No would never send ds to single sex school

Find it odd that sexes are separated it’s not how life is

I went to a girls' school and I liked it (no bullying I remember, or drugs/eating disorders). I also did loads out of school (sport, drama and music) that was mixed which was also great.

Mine (girls) will probably go to mixed but wouldn't mind them going to a single sex school.