Would single gender educational opportunities boost academic success in today’s children? Should girls and boys be taught in separate classrooms? Although gender equality is a point of emphasis in many societies, the approach of teaching girls and boys in separate classrooms in a public school has started to gain some traction. About 400 public schools right now offer gender specific educational opportunities. With recent research showing that men and women learn differently from each other, the pros and cons of the subject are being weighed more now than potentially ever before.
What Are the Pros of Single Gender Classrooms?
1. It prevents gender distractions in the classroom. When children reach a certain age, having students of the opposite gender in the same classroom becomes a distraction. Instead of focusing on the material that is being taught, students are focusing on their feelings and physical reactions to the opposite sex. Simply having mixed genders for the sake of having it does little good.
2. The classroom environment can be specifically adapted. Some studies have suggested that girls learn better when temperatures are warmer, while boys learn better when temperatures are cooler. The same principle is true for how information is consented and discussed within the classroom environment. By separating the genders, better learning opportunities could present themselves.
3. It eliminates gender stereotypes. When single gender classrooms are available, boys and girls tend to follow personal pursuits that interest them instead of trying to fit into specific stereotypes. Boys, for example, might pursue poetry. Girls tend to stop trying to focus on the goal of “keeping up with the boys” and instead stay focused on their own personal interests.
What Are the Cons of Single Gender Classrooms?
1. Many teachers may not be equipped for a single gender classroom. Although teachers generally understand gender differences and can adapt their teaching styles to specific situations, the gender specific education techniques that single gender classrooms could benefit from the most are not something that the average teacher has in their toolbox.
2. Some teaching styles could be detrimental. Assertive girls and sensitive boys would not benefit from the single gender classroom educational styles that are typically promoted. At best, this type of environment would be an effective for them. At worst, it could cause long-term harm.
3. It limits the possibility of learning how to coexist at an early age. Boys and girls in the single gender classroom environment will one day be working with the opposite sex in a professional environment. Without a co-ed classroom, learning how to work cooperatively with the opposite sex becomes a needed skill that is lacking.
Single gender classrooms may provide some distinct advantages and private schools have been offering this option for several years with proven success. Will the public school classroom benefit in the same way? By weighing the pros and cons, every school district has the ability to make a choice that is right for them.
