Single-Sex School and Co-Ed School Essay Example for Free

Single-Sex School and Co-Ed School Essay The education systems nowadays are made up of organizations ranging from kindergartens, general education schools, single-sex schools and co-ed schools to universities. This structure is designed to formulate people’s knowledge one step at a time according to their levels. School is one of the most important stages of educational system in our lives where we are trained to absorb basic knowledge and prepare for our future. Often times, schools are divided into single-sex schools, where only boys or girls study, and co-ed schools, where boys and girls study together. This choice demands that parents choose between co-ed school and single-sex school and decide what would be better for their children. This essay will compare and contrast these two forms of educational approaches to determine that co-educational school is better than single-sex school and is the most practical form of schooling. Co-education schools have a diversity of students from different economic and gender backgrounds. It is an efficient way of schooling for poorer countries that do not have the capital to build single-sex schools. Therefore, the biggest advantage of co-ed school is that there will be no need to open separate schools exclusively for boys or girls, because both boys and girls can study in same schools and they can be taught by the same staff. From childhood we know that kids like to play with each other and it is not depend on gender that is why friendships develop in natural way. From sociological point of view same thing happens in co-ed school. Pupils meet each other and have to be together in the society and if they will be studying together from the very beginning, they can understand well each other. As girls and boys become teenagers they participate in many activities, develop new societies and clubs in school where they are taking part in pleasant and friendly environment. This friendly atmosphere continues in the classroom, which allows them to share and express their point of view easily. In co-ed school boys and girls will be trained to take place in the community and how to behave with not just people of the same gender by also the other gender. For instance, if they will start working for international company where both genders are working together it would be easier for them to communicate with others, because they will know how to behave themselves. This experience will break their insufficient perceptions of each gender and will provide great social and personal development of relationships in later life. Another important point of co-education is that this type of school is very successful in challenging of sexist attitudes. In order to prove this we should answer on question â€Å"what do we know about sexism and how the single-sex or co-educational gender grouping of schools affects the occurrence, form, and severity of sexism in the classroom? † Sexism is an analogue to racism means a fundamental and pervasive institutionalized bias on the basis of sex, with discrimination usually directed against women. The rationale for sexism is the biological difference between males and females that dictates differential social roles, status, and norms (Lee, Marks, Byrd, 1994, pp. 2). In the past it meant that female had weak role in the society and males were powerful gender, which is always on the top. And this was the main purpose of development of single-sex schools. But nowadays women achieved equality in the society. As men they can work, build, manage, lead, guide or in other words do all things that men can do in the society. Sexism almost eradicated from our society and it is important point, and that is why co-ed school is very successful in challenging of sexist attitudes. For instance, there are many subjects that provide many discussions and debates in class and it is very important and useful for boys and girls. Because they learn that equality does not require similarity, and they know that they have equal rights and freedom of speech. It means that collaboration between boys and girls in the classroom helps them to develop confidence; they feel comfortable to share their ideas and opinions in any situation in the presence of opposite sex. Co-education improves pupils’ confidence to interact with opposite gender. Moreover, co-education creates a sense of healthy competition between both genders, because they need to work hard and pay serious attention to their studies. Also, co-educated pupils have strong friendship and respect to each other. For example, boys are trying to behave themselves very polite in company of girls. Moreover, they are trying not use rough and abusive language in presence of girls. Similarly, the girls are trying to dress properly and talk in a good manner, because they need good relationship with the boys if they are studying together. On the other hand if boys and girls are studying in separate schools, boys misbehave with the girls, because they are always having a curiosity to know about them. But when they study together, their curiosity is satisfied more easily and they do not consider girls as strange creatures or taboo. Despite the fact that co-ed schools are more modern and are similar with the current environment of the workplace, where boys and girls study together, some conservative people criticize co-education system. According to them, this system is against their tradition, because from ancient times they fear that co-education will help develop immoral relationships between boys and girls. They believe that in this system both the boys and girls will be spoilt. This was represented as the main possible disadvantage of co-education schools. Moreover, there was an experiment where boys and girls were studying in separate classes. And more of co-educational schools showed interest in segregating lessons. Academics and teachers have found that both genders have better concentration on core subjects and they are less distracted by opposite sex. The main idea is that separating boys and girls is not a cure for disruptive classrooms, but under the right conditions it can help to raise academic standards in schools. Despite of the fact that girls have better achievements than boys, they can also benefit from single-sex classes because they sometimes allowed them to perform without worrying about their image in front of girls. On the other hand there can be some problems in separating classes, because there is a need to avoid an intimidating atmosphere for other boys, who can be generated among all-boys’ classes, and to be alert to the dangers of generating a homophobic environment. In addition, there is also a need to beware of girls becoming aggressive towards each other. So, there are some risks of single-sex classrooms and schools. On the other hand, single-sex education is an old education system where boys and girls study in separate classrooms or schools. Some educational researchers have identified single-sex education as a way of facilitating a special educational experience for all students. Single-sex education refers to the education of students in an environment that consists of a single gender, either all-male or all-female environments (NASSPE, 2008). Not so long ago single-sex classes in co-educational schools were considered to be an appropriate educative aspect of K–12 learning environments (Pollard, 1999). In late 60s and early 70s in United States girls and boys were separated from each other on a single-sex basis. For example, in many schools in country classes were separated by gender where girls attended economics classes while boys attended agriculture classes and it was required for all pupils or students. The main purpose of creating single-sex classes was physical education and sex education of boys and girls. In other words, boys and girls was separated because of assumptions about their physical abilities and characteristics, their social and personal functioning, or beliefs held by adults regarding appropriate interaction among or between the sexes (Pollard, 1999). Moreover, some single-sex classes were created in order to exclude girls from some activities that were based on gender stereotypes that were not appropriate for them. According to Smith and Wilhelm, in general boys achieve lower grades than girls while girls are demonstrating higher performance. In general, girls are in particular benefiting from a single-sex education, but the authors just suggesting this idea. From my point of view, girls just do not shy or worry how will they perform in presence of boys and vise versa. Interestingly, many researches show that they participate in class more than boys, develop much higher confidence, have higher grades, and are more likely to choose ‘male’ disciplines such as science, math, etc. Moreover, they are more successful in their careers. That is why the majority of single-sex schools nowadays are for girls. The gender equality development around the world seems to pose a mixed attitude toward the single-sex schools. On one hand, single-sex schools appear to be against this wave in that they treat the two genders differently and cultivate the sexist view in people’s minds from when they are young. In this respect, single-sex system seems to be something attached to the obsolete past in human history and does not fit the modern world in every way. But on the other hand, compared with single-sex system, the co-ed system is possibly contributing to sexist views, too. Some people argue that in a co-ed system, boys and girls are exposed much more to the differences in their own characteristics and because girls mature earlier than boys, boys might find the learning environment inappropriately challenging and even depressing during this stage. Another advantage of single-sex schools is that teachers know better about their students’ characteristics and thus can modify their teaching methods to meet the needs required by the differences in the two genders, whereas in co-ed schools, girls and boys are forced to learn and be appraised in exactly same ways which might not be proper. This should sound a legitimate argument to people who accept that there are differences between the two genders. Although the two systems have sharp differences, they also share similarities. When we compare single-sex school and co-ed school, we can identify some similarities. In spite of the fact that these two types of schools separate student by gender, they both have the same educational program. Both types of schools use same books, literature and syllabus. Also, the goals of both schools are the same. They prepare students for future life; give them appropriate knowledge that will help to survive and thrive in our world, but in single-sex school it difficult to be prepared for real life because they do not have natural training of behavior with opposite gender. Moreover, both schools do not give them just knowledge, but also pay attention to the physical activities. For example, pupils attend different competitions, like football, basketball, volleyball etc. In addition, students participate in public affairs, like movements against drugs, participation in aid for children’s home or helping to greybeards. There are many differences between single-sex school and co-ed school. For instance, differences in behavior of girls and boys have been observed and commented for generations, but history records that until social expectations of girls were very different of boys, especially regarding education (Zanders, 1993, p. 16). The learning style and interests of girls and boys have been consistently different, because girls acquire a learning method involving personal relationships and imitation, but boys are learning through defining goal, restructuring the field, and applying abstract principles. Alternatively, girls’ learning styles require more open-ended learning tasks, they are both more reflective and empathetic and engage with tasks that are related to real situations, whereas boys show a preference for memorizing rules and abstract facts and express their comprehension factually (Zanders, 1993, p. 17). Single-sex schools are relying on more ancient perspectives on education, which are oriented to separate boys and girls. Co-ed schools are more modern and represent the current environment of the workplace, where boys and girls study together. According to many articles and researches single-sex school students say that they are studying better than in co-ed and this is because they are in the class of their gender. For example, in Kazakhstan, students from Kazakh-Turkish lyceum won a lot of awards in exact sciences like mathematics, chemistry and physics and all foreign language and they gave the highest results in their knowledge. Co-ed education schools trains students for their future lives, how to communicate and behave in real world. This education breaks all the boarders between genders and helps them to build a good, strong relationships. Moreover, students in single-sex school may lose some social skills that students in a co-ed school may gain. It happens because students in single-sex school are limited from communication with opposite sex. Another important thing that influences education is relationships with opposite sex. In co-ed schools, students sometimes cannot realize their abilities in subjects like mathematics, chemistry and physics. In co-ed school, there exist teenagers’ sex and unwanted pregnancy at a very young age. This is because they always focus some or all their attention on opposite sex. However, in single-sex schools it is not a problem, because nothing of this sort exists. Finally, I want to conclude that both of schools have advantages and disadvantages. In co-ed school, it will be easy to gain your social skills, but student can lose some points in education. In single-sex school student can focus attention only on education, but will not properly prepared for social life. There is a trade off between academic knowledge acquisition and social functional ability development. The knowledge student gain does not depend on the type of school. The factors that influence their education are student character, environment and his or her abilities. Parents should decide themselves where their child will learn, but it should guarantee that the choice represents the children’s own feelings. They should like the type of school they are going to. But some parents sex for their children prefer to choose single-sex schools in order to minimize their contact with the opposite, but it is important to understand that choosing for child all-female or all-male school will not stop them from searching for the opposite sex. If parents minimize contact when child is in school, but they cannot stop children meeting others through tuitions, extra classes, the neighborhood, or through friends. If their child meets someone with whom she or he shares home assignment or some exercises, and if she or he makes the decision to get physical with such person, theres little a parent can do. But on the other hand, when parents choose for their child a co-educational school, their child will have contact with opposite sex from the beginning. As a result, child will not only feel more comfortable in the company of the opposite sex, but will also be able to handle advances better. When parents making the decision of sending their child to a single-sex or a co-educational school, their decision should not be based on whether they want to minimize or increase childs contact with the opposite sex. Instead, they must consider the reputation of the school, the activities it offers and the quality of education and educators. For example, some schools offer sending students abroad for further studies. So, parents may consider this point if they want their child to go abroad. Because there is other less traditional schools that focus more on activities and less on academics. If this is something that appeals to them, then give this fact more priority than the student mix. In fact, when deciding what school to choose for child, parent’s choice should fall on the co-educational school because it will give huge experience and will train their child for future life.