Single sex education

[MollieO]

This in the Times yesterday.

I'm not one for stereotyping but as the mum of a 4 yr old boy I have seen a definite difference in learning styles between him and his girl playmates.

Personally, I find more advantages (at primary level) of a single sex school for my ds than for my dd. He gets an education tailored to the needs of boys without being compared to and comparing himself with (more teachable) girls in the class.

The co~ed preps around here are mainly ex-boys schools and, as such. tend to have better facilities than some of the girls schools!! They seem to have no trouble attracting and retaining girls, but can have low boy numbers.

I'm not worried about ds growing up isolated from girls. He has his sister, her friends and his own friends who are girls, to keep him in line (plus me of course ).

It could be a different story when we choose secondary schools....

I was very happy that dd's secondary school turned co-ed the same year as she started. I think it's healthy for both sexes to grow up together, and I like it that she talks of boys as friends and peers to work with. She can cope with the academic side anyway, but this is good for her social skills.

My dds also at a school where it's co-ed from 3-7 in kindergarten then single sex prep and secondary and co-ed 6th form. However, there are lots of mixed extra curricular activities and the schools are next door so the opposite sex not considered an alien species. I like this as a compromise.

I'm sure I've seen research that says girls in single sex schools are more likely to take traditionally 'masculine' subjects and do better at them than they would in co-ed.

Thanks for your answer ABetaDad!

NotaGrannyyet, may I ask you why they changed the trial back to normal maths and science ed and didn't leave it single sex ed? I'm curious because I'm considering single sex ed for our daughter precisely for science ed as I heard girls do better in those subjects if there are no boys around.

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I went to both, and much preferred mixed. Somewhat atypical reason though. As a fiercely competitive scientist, I enjoyed the lessons more (and did far better) when I had some formidably bright boys to measure up to. This was some time ago (I am now 50) but when it came to Maths and Physics the all girls school fell a long way short in their provision. They may well have improved - I really hope so!

when i was at secondary school (a state grammar) we were co-ed but split into single sex groups for science classes and a few others so when the girls did biology/chem/physics the boys did pe/music/drama and vice versa which was good and confidence boosting and in english/history/geography classes the boys and girls interacting well

I went to both and preferred mixed.They were sex mad in the all girls grammar and spent a lot of time talking about boys! They were just friends in the mixed and we didn't have a glamourised view of them.

I also went to both a mixed private jr, a all girs senior (for one year) and then a mixed boarding for the rest of my education. I can see benefit in all 3. Where to my boys go? They are in a mixed boarding school and they loveit.

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