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Single sex or co-educational?
By Sarah Purcell The debate over whether girls and boys learn better together or apart goes on and there's evidence to support both arguments. In the end your decision should depend on your child's personality and ability and the kind of environment where this will thrive. Dame Judith Kilpatrick, head of the City of Portsmouth Girls' school, who has also been head of a mixed school, says: 'I've always believed that some students learn better in a single sex environment and others in a mixed school, so it's right that there is a choice.' Psychologist professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education & Employment Research at Liverpool University, says that the choice of school is often influenced by the parents' own experiences. 'However, the most important priority for parents when choosing their child's school is still performance, regardless of whether it's single sex or co-educational.' Pre-school and primary At pre-school and primary age boys and girls are usually more developed in certain areas, says Professor Smithers, "Girls tend to have much better verbal and written skills than boys, while the boys are usually ahead in spatial and numerical skills at this age." Single sex pre-schools and primary schools are always independent, so unless you've chosen the private sector for your child, a single sex school won't be an option until he reaches the age of 11. If you do choose to send your child to a single sex school at an early age, then gender is likely to play a part in reinforcing certain skills. "If you choose a single sex pre- or primary school for your child then you may find that being with children of the same sex from an early age will tend to speed your child in his natural direction of development - verbal and written skills for girls, spatial and numeracy skills for boys," adds Professor Smithers. Carolyne Sullivan from Four Elms, Kent, chose single sex primary schools for her three children Rowan, 9, Jessie, 7 and Toby, 6. 'We chose the schools partly for the better facilities and education they offered, but also because we thought it would provide a better learning environment for them at this age. We weren't concerned about them being socially disadvantaged because we have both boys and girls. Jessie loves being in an all-girl environment - at primary age boys can be quite disruptive and boisterous - and the boys love having so many friends to play football and do boy things with.' Sarah Brown from Tonbridge, Kent, however, has chosen a mixed primary school for her daughters Chloe, 5, and Matilda, 3. 'Because I have two girls I think it's important for them to mix with boys at primary age, otherwise I think their outlook might become quite narrow. I don't think that at primary age having boys in the class will distract concentration or learning.' Secondary school Until 1945 the majority of secondary schools were single sex, following on from the tradition of sending boys out to school but teaching girls at home. After the war there was a movement to promote the benefits of mixed education and many single sex schools were replaced by co-ed schools. The debate over the benefits of both systems goes on. At Notley High School, a mixed comprehensive in Essex, an experiment has shown that sitting boys next to girls in class gives improved results. The theory is that both boys and girls will benefit from the other's different strengths, with girls being better at verbal skills and organising their work, while boys are better at numerical and visual tasks. Teachers have found that the girls stop the boys being so easily distracted while the girls chat less when sitting next to boys. GCSE results for both boys and girls have improved as a result. At Shenfield High School, a mixed comprehensive in Essex, head John Fairhurst introduced a system where boys and girls are taught separately for all academic lessons at Key Stage 3; for sciences, English and maths at Key Stage 4; and together for the sixth form. GCSE results for both sexes have improved. 'Rather than wring our hands about the differences in the ways boys and girls learn and behave we've done something positive about it. We've actually built on those differences by developing different styles of teaching for the gender groups and the students have benefited enormously,' says Fairhurst. 'All social activities are mixed, as are form and house groups, so we've side-stepped any of the negative aspects associated with single sex schools.' By separating the students, teachers have found that girls - who tend to let boys take on leadership roles - become more confident and assertive, while boys, who are often reluctant to discuss emotional or spiritual topics, are less inhibited when girls aren't around. Single sex advantages Judith Kilpatrick has found that girls tend to do better in traditionally 'male' subjects like sciences and maths when they're away from the influence of boys, while the boys will do better at 'female' subjects, like English, away from girls. She doesn't believe children miss out socially by attending a single sex school. 'Children don't spend all their time in school - they have plenty of time to mix outside school hours - and while in school we encourage them to get involved in activities in the wider community.' And for girls who may be lacking in confidence, the more secure environment of a single sex school may be helpful. Christine Gorry from Bedford chose a girls' secondary school for her daughter Joanne, 14. 'We chose a single sex school because I think girls concentrate better in this environment. At this age, girls can easily be distracted by the presence of boys. Joanne's school mixes socially with local boys schools for sports, drama and music so I don't think she's missing out at all.' Mixed advantages Matthew Brown, assistant head teacher at Hextable comprehensive in Swanley, Kent, believes mixed secondary schools give a better all round education to both boys and girls. 'If children have always been in a mixed education they will have got used to learning together and mixing socially, so it won't be a distraction. And being in a mixed school means they'll have the opportunity of trying out subjects that might not be available in a single sex school, for example, home economics, dance and textiles for boys and design technology and football for girls.' Although Carolyne Sullivan chose single sex primary schools for her children, once they reach 11 she plans to send them all to the same mixed school. 'I think once they get older a mixed school will prepare them better socially for life ahead, as long as it's one with a good level of academic performance. My husband and I both attended single sex secondary schools, and I certainly found it hard to socialise with boys as a result. I hope a mixed secondary school will give my children more confidence.' It can be a difficult choice to make, but in the end it's down to personal preference, says Professor Smithers. 'As a parent I'd advise you to go with your instincts - neither a single sex nor a mixed school will dramatically affect your child's educational outcome - this will depend on your child.' Sarah Purcell is a freelance journalist and mother of two. |
