Single Sex Education
Why would anyone want to go to an all girls' school? This is a question I have often pondered. Can you imagine school without the obnoxious comments from boys, football games, and gossiping about boys? This doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it? You girls may think about this and decide there are no advantages to an all girls' school, but in reality, all girls' schools have many. Believe it or not, having boys around is not the most important factor in our education. In fact, boys in the classroom are actually a setback. All girls' schools are more advantageous than coeducational schools because there are fewer distractions, you will have a higher self esteem socially and academically, and you will be more successful academically.
Let's face it, we are obsessed with boys. We act and dress with only a boy's opinion in mind. Boys not only preoccupy our minds in a social setting, but in the classroom as well. We know that we know the answers to the questions in school, but we often avoid raising our hand in class. Why? We are afraid that the answer might be wrong, and the boys will laugh at us. Even worse, we might be right, and then they will think we are nerds! We also must confess that we tend to space out during lessons and daydream about the star quarterback two seats over. These distractions could be eliminated if boys are removed from the setting. Without them, we could focus on education rather than what they think of us.
Self-esteem is another issue that will improve with the absence of the male species in the classroom. In high school, there is an extreme amount of pressure to fit in. Some may not fit in, and some prey on others in order to f...
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... all of the boys go? Trust me, the boys are looking for us girls as much as we are looking for them. Clearly, this issue is not an obstacle in your social life.
Life without boys? It sounds worse than it really is. You can now see that having boys in the classroom is a setback for us girls. Without them around, we can focus on our valuable education. We will have all attention focused on our work and our needs, which is very beneficial to receiving an effective education. We can also focus on forming friendships with other girls in the school without worrying about them stealing our boyfriends. Catty gossip can be eliminated from everyday school life, allowing us to fully concentrate on our education. Our education should be our first priority in life, and an all girls school in turn makes us their first priority, improving the quality of our education.
Many people have different ideas on what factors that really form how boys and girls are. Some people believe that boys’ and girls’ genders are defined by social construction. Social construction of gender means boys and girls are indifferent: boys will like dolls and girls will like trucks if they are instilled that way. On the other hand, some people believe that boys and girls are naturally different since they were born: they prefer to different things like boys like truck and girls like dolls. However, the idea about social construction is untrue. According to Chistina Hoff Sommers, author of “From The War Against Boys”, “But researchers have confirmed what parents experience all the time: even without conditioning (indeed, even with counter-condition), boys and girls show different preferences and gravitate toward different toys” (par 8). In other words, girls and boys like different toys even though they are not told or taught to like a specific toy. Boys and girls are different. Boys are naturally a few years slower than girls in education; moreover, they are always active: they like to move around. Therefore boys often have difficulty in schools because many schools think that boys’ and girls’ behavior can be formed by social rules. Schools use the same educational standard and regulation to control boys and girls. The social constructing idea that is used by school is hurting boys’ academic lives.
In the Washington post, the essay “Why Schools Are Failing Our Boys” relates to the study of the “boy problem” Fink’s concern is that boys have a harder time in school, causing them to drop out or not go on to college. I agree with Fink’s concern because of the mistreatment of genders and the pressure put on students as a whole. Based on class readings, it has been illustrated that throughout history boys felt as though school made them feel less masculine. From what I have personally seen in school, boys are constantly being told to “man up”. I feel as though boys are expected to act a certain way, and all students are expected to conform to a certain type of learning.
What is acceptable when it comes to teaching kids about sex education? “What Schools Should Teach Kids About Sex” by Jessica Lahey uses more of a logical approach to the issues of sexual education given to adolescence, compared to “Sex Education Is One Thing” by Anna Quindlen which tells more of her personal story and opinion using pathos to connect to the audience. After reading both articles about sex education, it is clear that there are many different interpretations of what qualifies as sex education, who is qualified to teach it, and what should be included in the curriculum. Both writers believe that there should be more sex education taught to high school kids but they go about it in different ways, using rhetorical appeals of logic versus pathos.
There are many benefits of having co-education schools, including both genders to be together in the one school so that they can work together, get to know how the opposite gender works and how to interact with the opposite gender. When both genders are at the same school they are able to cooperate with each other and are able to create friendships with the opposite gender. For instance if a boy went to an all-boys schools when he was younger, by the time he has finished school he might not have had that much time or had many occasions where he would have to talk or do things with girls. He might become nervous being around a girl and not know how to interact with her. This is why it is important to be at a co-education school, so that you have these experiences when you are young and learn how to talk and associate with the opposite gender, “allowing and preparing him or her for the future” (Single-sex education: the pros and cons, 2014) when they will have to work and associate with both genders.
In the United States, there is a rising problem that is not going anywhere anytime soon, that is if we, as citizens, don 't change it. This problem is causing billions of dollars and people 's futures all because schools would rather teach ignorance than the truth. What’s the problem? Sex education. Although sex education may not seem like a rising conflict, it is actually one of the top controversial topics in our country regarding education. According to Brigid McKeon, “Each year, U.S. teens experience as many as 850,000 pregnancies, and youth under age 25 experience about 9.1 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs)” (McKeon). This number is so unbelievable to any sane person, but somehow schools still won 't take the initiative to teach realistic sex education. Sex education can be taught in two different procedures- comprehensive or abstinence only. The difference between the two methods is that comprehensive sex education teaches abstinence as a secondary choice, so that teens who decide not to wait are well educated on how to keep themselves protected. Comprehensive sex education should be required in every single public school because it is the most effective method on how to keep teenagers well informed and prepared.
Imagine your life with only members of your gender. Not all the time, of course. Just during your school day or even part of your school day. The same classrooms would make that imagination your reality. Before you turn down the idea, because God forbids you go a few hours without seeing a cute boy, take a moment to learn about all the benefits same-sex schooling can provide.
Why should comprehensive sex education be allowed in schools? Should teens be exposed to comprehensive sex education? Sex education should be taught in school because it give children stable and accurate information , it informs them of the danger and diseases associated with sex, and it teaches them about safe sex options.
There have been many studies on the advantages and disadvantages of single-sex education. Most studies show that single sex education can allow students to focus less on looks and focus more on their academics. Without the distraction of trying to impress the opposite sex the students can focus on class work and getting further in their academic careers. Even though there are many other factors, males and females have different ways of comprehending and obtaining new information. Single sex classes also help the teachers to adapt the curriculum to the specific gender. In a coed environment there will always be gender stereotypes, whether it has to with physical or mental dominance. In a single sex environment there wont be gender stereotypes or competition between the sexes to assert dominance. Most studies show that single sex education can allow students to focus less on looks and more on their academics. Single se...
Women, Girls, Boys and Men today face a variety of different issues in contemporary american society. Many of the problems that they face are regarding gender and cultural issues. Today we say that both genders are equal but in reality they are really not. We have both girls and both falling behind in school because of these cultural issues. According to David Brooks article titled “Honor Code,” the reason why boys especially, are falling behind in education is because of the way the education system is set-up. He states that schools today proclaim that they are diverse, but in fact they have become “homogeneous,” they only cater to students who are “nurturing, collaborative, disciplined, neat, studious, industrious and ambitious.” He says that those who do not fit in with those categories are left behind, they become disconnected and eventually withdraw completely from their education. It has become a huge problem in the U.S, where colleges are lowering their admission standards just so they can admit more men. Mr. Brooks says the problems with boys is that they are naturally aggres...
The proponents of single-sex education argue that boys and girls have differing needs and that their styles of learning are different. Education which respects personal differences must take this into account. ( Mullins 124) Single-gender schools seem logical, than, to a public that accepts that gender differences are real and likes the idea of expanding choices. (Silv...
Some people think that single sex schools are good because girls and boys feel free to talk, ask and raise their hands without being made fun of, "The theoretical approach termed 'girl power' argues that girls lag behind boys in some subject in co-ed classrooms." (predit, 2014). However, Single sex schools are very bad because it affects children attitude, they will find difficulty in communicating with their colleagues in college as they were secluded and didn't interact with other sex in school. Boys and girls should know from a young age how to deal with the opposite sex, instead of facing that when they become adults, and don't have experience on what to do. Students in single-sex classrooms will one day live and work side-by-side with members of the opposite sex .Educating students in single-sex schools restrains their chance to work helpfully and cooperate effectively with parts of the inverse sex. "It is not long before the youth of today will be the parents, co-workers and leaders of tomorrow" (strauss, 2012). "Anything we organize along any variable, if we're saying boys he...
Life at an all boys school is a real learning experience. Classes without girls, boys who are different from the excepted norm are afraid to be themselves because people like me wouldn't want to be around them, and an easier and better way of learning is what a boy will find at an all boys private school. So if your a boy who plans to attend an all boys private school, don't believe everything that people say.
This problem occurs in schools everywhere and is starting to become more evident in today's society. The problem is that boys and girls learning potential are not being reached when put into the same teaching atmosphere. Girls seem to be out smarting boys in many classes. While boys excel in math and sciences and girls seem to be better in English. The styles in which boys and girls feel comfortable with are extremely different. The learning styles of girls usually contain socializing and context. For instance, most girls like to talk in small groups about the current discussion. They also like hands on activities or real life situations to compare things to. Boys are confrontational and formal. They need to be challenged by their teachers to help motivate them to become better students and be prepared. In contrast girls do not like to be confronted by teachers who are asking for an immediate answers. In most cases, girls seem to be more reserved and modest than boys about their intelligence ("What are someÉ) are. Their differences may not seem evident but make a difference to reaching their highest learning potential.
A debate has centered recently on the argument of whether strategy for students at high school should be applied to obtain a successful education system, with a voice calling for providing the appropriate environment of education for both gender-students that assists them to concentrate better on their studies and eliminate all aspects of disruptions. Fulfilling such strategies would improve the quality of education at high schools and raise the range of obtaining high marks. However, should boys and girls be educated separately at high school in order to have higher marks? People claim that when both sexes study in the same class rooms their confidence level will increase and the relation between both sexes will deepen and strengthen its roots which will be beneficial for all students in their future life as well as their school life. However, educating both genders in the same class at high school could negatively effect their academic results as long as the two genders distract each others, diverse in the learning ways and do not have the same freedom they could enjoy in single sex schools.
...to girls that want to be in a career that is considered for boys. Girls tend to speak up less when boys are in the class room, especially in classes like math or science (Cherney and Campbell). Girls feel more comfortable around their own gender, and they feel more comfortable speaking up in class. Girls in single-sex classrooms tend to have higher self-esteem (Cherney and Campbell). Salomone says that girls perform better in class without boys. Girls who are in a single-sex school were more likely to show up to class everyday (Salomone). In single-sex schools there is less competition, and the girls feel more obligated to participate in class. Girls and boys in single-sex schools participate in class more.