To be angry so many girls schools are going Co-Ed?

[FaeryRing]

Yet again it’s been proven girls do better in single sex schools (I have a son as well as a daughter so please don’t think I’m ’hating on boys’).

https://amp.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/may/12/girls-do-better-in-exams-at-all-girls-schools-than-mixed-research-finds

In my hometown growing up there were 4 girls schools. 1 grammar, 1 private, and 2 regular secondaries, meaning pretty much all parents regardless of background had access to single sex education for their daughters if they wanted it.

2 have announced their plans to go Co-Ed, with 1 already having done so, leaving just 1 (the grammar, so working class girls will be inherently disadvantaged). This seems to be a pattern across the country.

AIBU to be angry this is happening? Can’t girls have anything to themselves?

Pay for it yourself then.

Yes!

It's only boys who have changed then? Girls have remained perfect and uninfluenced by modern ways?

This is the kind of silly nonsense those who went to mixed schools imagine. I went to a girls only school & I've had no problem whatsoever integrating into the mixed work environment including all the other girls seeing as there were boys living on our street, in town, male teachers at schools and oh did i mention boys living in my house?

Have to say, I wonder how many people on here that are professing their preference for all girls schools have actually attended one.

I went to an all girls secondary school and the experience was hell. Most of my friends would agree. It was full of bitchy behaviour, cattiness, girls just being dreadful to one another. Arguments that would last for weeks and spill into different friendship groups, online etc. There was so much pressure on physical appearance and competition.

I think boys provide balance and I would never send my DD to an all girls school.

I went to a girls school and I absolutely grew up feeling 'what the fuck was that' if I saw a boy. I liked the look of boys a lot but never spoke to one until I was 17 😂. Hasn't given me any lasting damage and I avoided a whole lot of crappy experiences if everyone's invited is anything to go by.

it’s 7 years only and of course she will see boys in that time just not in school

Seeing them out the car window isn't the same as interacting with them.

How will she really interact with boys to the same level as working in groups with them etc? Aside from siblings, what opportunity will she have to really interact with boys several times a week?

I think a lot of boys are awful at around 13/14 as the hormones kick in. Ideally I wouldnt want my daughter exposed to that at such a vulnerable age. Co-ed in primary and sixth form is ok though.

I just looked up the study you cited about mental health. The summary said it compared GSA schools against girls in state and coed.
It then went on to say:
It should be remembered that many of the suggested advantages of single sex schooling for girls are difficult to disentangle from the fact that many girls’ schools are selective independent schools, making genuine comparison with girls in state schools difficult, as they come from a wider range of backgrounds and abilities. It would be helpful to know how the mental toughness scores for girls in state and independent co-educational schools broke down, to ensure the AQR analysis was comparing like with like.

All that suggests to me is to say that more research is needed.

Lots of stereotypes here.

We made an active decision to send our boys and girl to a co-Ed. They are at uni now. All did very well, though my daughter gained one more A star!

We had no issues. They loved school. The only strange thing is that they largely socialised with their own sex and didn’t really have friends of the opposite sex. I have no idea why. I was a bit disappointed!

I have no regrets but also don’t think single-sex is dreadful either.

I should add my friend did send her dd to the all girls and she ended up with an eating disorder, plus was boy obsessed in a way the girls were knew who went out of area weren't.

And the only kids at school i ever had issues with myself were other girls, honestly there's bad kids of both sexes. I just don't get why people think it's okay to segregate, especially in most of the country that don't have grammars, fine for private you choose it but I fought and won free transport for my girls to go out of area because i didn't believe in single sex education! (There was a precedent locally in reverse so they couldn't refuse)

Are you denying that girls get sexually harassed and assaulted by boys? No one is accusing your son in particular, it’s not personal.

Sexual harassment of girls is absolutely rife in co-ed school. Recognising that is not having something ‘wrong with you’.

This is the kind of silly nonsense those who went to mixed schools imagine.

Except that plenty of posters who went to single sex schools are recounting experiences that align with my points.

I’m also wondering. My girls school was very heavily into STEM.

Yes but it’s a self selecting sample. It wont overtake my own knowledge of having been at a girls school for 7 years and having friends who went with me who I have observed go through 15 years of life afterwards.

I have lieterally never seen or heard of this across 3 kids of both sexes. They all have the most wonderful friendships across both sexes

I went to a single sex girls state grammar school which, like all the other schools in the town, had no sixth form. While I didn't have a particularly awful experience or poor mental health, I didn't especially like being at an all girls school. It felt unnatural. I actually didn't know any boys outside school other than my younger brother and his small group of totally uninteresting (to me) friends. Not knowing any boys my age, whilst developing a typical adolescent fascination for them, did me no favours at all. They seemed like a species apart.

Luckily I went to a large mixed sixth form, which I enjoyed immensely. I got to know lots of boys which demystified them for me and feel it was the two years in my education where I worked my hardest. I also made new girl friends and developed new interests, which also helped a lot.

I have no liking for single sex schools and wouldn't have sent my girls to one, should one have been available to them. Admittedly no boys then likely watched porn (mags were available though) and their behaviour was pretty respectful on the whole. Having said that, my girls didn't experience anything untoward either - the youngest only left school recently. She has since but not from school mates.

Yes, I did say it was a minor study. But it’s all there is at the moment.

I think more schools are turning co-ed because single sex is becoming less popular. Certainly in the private sector, I’ve come across many people who really don’t want single sex education (often those who attended single sex schools themselves).

Yes I feel the same. Primary is absolutely fine, 11-16 is a dodgy age. Sixth form probably offers benefits if carefully managed.

I will!

@Comedycook

The girls school didn't offer triple science, didn't offer football or rugby (one of mine plays to high level), it didn't offer chess club, didn't offer coding club - the mixed sex school offered these to both sexes plus had less bullying and not obsessing with looks. The all girls school was pretty bad overall on so many levels though did get good grades

Your example is your one experience though, plus you don't actually have stats on how every other girl who attended that school fared - there may well have been bullying or MH issues you are not aware of.
I went to a mixed school and guess what? The majority of the bullies were girls, and I actually had a much nicer time with my male friends.

Well you could say the same about everyone else’s experiences on here couldn’t you? Including yours?

I think a lof of girls can be equally challenging from 12 to 15 too though.
Puberty can be challenging for both sexes.
It's unfair to just blame boys.