The Single Sex Education Concept Sociology Essay
Single Sex Education is the new trend of the future. It is the new best thing for both boys and girls and in the last few years there has been a major increase in interest in single sex education schools. Boys’ and girls’ brains are set up differently so they should be taught differently in different environments. Single sex education is when there is either one whole school set up for only boys or only girls or it could be a classroom for only boys or girls. One issue is whether or not building public schools for just boys or just girls is unconstitutional. Does it violate Title IX? Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program receiving federal funds (National Association of State Boards of Education).
March 3rd, 2004, the United States Department of Education published new regulations about single sec education in public schools. They will have to offer “substantially equal courses, services, and facilities, at other schools within the same school district but those other schools can be single sex or coded (Leonard Sax). As long as there is a school for each gender to go to whether is it coed or single sex it does not violate Title IX.
Sex differences in the brain begin in the womb. These sex hormones, transformed by aromatase enzymes within the brain, bind to brain tissue and begin to transform it. Between 18 and 26 weeks gestation, the developing brain is permanently and irreversibly transformed. When a woman is 26 weeks pregnant, you can distinguish a female brain from a male brain (Leonard Sax). Once those changes have occurred they are permanent. Nothing can change them even after you are out of the womb. Not even an experience as extreme as castration.
One research team recently compared brain tissue from the brains of young girls and young boys. They found that sex differences in the structure of the brain were obvious, even in babies. The differences in the brain tissue are so dramatic that they are even visible to the naked eye (Leonard Sax). This finding alone should alert you that sex differences are real as opposed to, say, racial or religious differences. You can’t tell by looking at a slice of someone’s brain whether that person was Black or White or Asian; you can’t tell whether that person was a Jew or a Christian or a Hindu or a Muslim. But you can tell whether that person was male or female.
Studies have shown that women and men process information, listen, read, and experience emotion in very different ways. Women use both the right and left hemispheres in processing language; men use only the left hemisphere. Men are more likely to use a small area of the brain, on just one side, for a particular task; women typically use more of the brain, on both hemispheres, for the same task. Women typically navigate using landmarks that can be seen or heard. Men are more likely to use abstract concepts such as north and south, or absolute distance.
Because males and females brains are set up so differently and they use different part when they are solving a problem. They should be put in two different learning environments so that each student can learn to the best of their potential.
Most of the studies comparing single-sex education with coeducation focus on grades and test scores. Girls in all-girls schools are more likely to study subjects such as advanced math, computer science, and physics. Boys in all-boys schools are more than twice as likely to study subjects such as foreign languages, art, music, and drama (Leonard Sax).
In June 2005, researchers at Cambridge University released results of a four-year study of gender differences in education. These researchers found that the single-sex classroom format was very effective at boosting boys’ performance particularly in English and foreign languages, as well as improving girls’ performance in math and science. (singlesexschools.org)
You’ll occasionally hear people claim that single-sex education is “good for girls, but not for boys.” In fact, recent research has demonstrated that single-gender classrooms benefit boys as well — particularly for subjects such as reading, writing, art, and music. The single greatest benefit of girls-only education is the greater educational opportunity girls enjoy in the all-girls classroom. At every age, girls in girls-only classroom are more likely to explore “non-traditional” subjects such as computer science, math, physics, woodworking, etc (Jost, Kenneth).
Single Sex Education is the educational trend of the future. It is the best new thing for both boys and girls. All students will be able to take whatever class they would like with out and added pressure to act “cool” for the opposite sex. Every child will be able to get an education to the best that they are able. In an environment set up just for them.
All girls will be able to go to shop class and no one will even think twice about it. Girls will be able to act more like themselves during schools because they will not have to put up a front for any guy. They will not have to dress up to go to school to impress anyone. They will just be there to learn and nothing more.
Boys will not have to worry about their girlfriend bothering them during school. They will be able to focus on just their education and nothing more. They will not be distracted by any low cut tops or short skirts. They will have nothing else to distract them or stop them from learning.
Every student will get a fair and equal chance at learning. There will be no gender stereotypes of any kind. Single Sex Education is just taking out one more distraction from learning. Making it a little bit easier to only have to worry about getting your work done and not whether or not you boyfriend or girlfriend is going to meet you at your locker after class.
The common coed classroom generally consists of an equal number of males and females. This has been true for as long as coed schooling has existed. The idea of trading in this norm for exclusively single sex classrooms is interesting to say the least. It is interesting because of the hidden elements associated with the issue. Exclusively separating classrooms by sex is an issue that must be approached carefully because while it may advance academic performance for some, it could as easily be detrimental to the academic performance of others.
Susan Estrich, an author and member of the Harvard Law Review, has written many works including an essay entitled “Separate is Better”, which is a collection of her views on why classrooms should be separated by gender. She asserts that in a coed environment women do not perform as well academically as in a single sex environment. Estrich believes that in dual-sex classrooms women are overlooked because “boys get the bulk of the teachers’ time” (388). Another reason she believes that women do not perform as well in dual-sex schools is because they are forced into gender roles; she believes that boys are able to take on more academic extra curricular activities while girls are forced into more physical activities such as twirling a baton or cheerleading. Estrich also states that in a coed environment women can feel intimidated, or have lower self confidence, causing them to be less likely to ask or answer questions aloud in class. Estrich clearly states in her essay, Separate is Better, that she believes separating classrooms by sex would lead to better performance throughout the education process by eliminating many of the problems she sees within the dual-sex education system (388-9).
One of the primary arguments used to justify the separation of genders in the classroom is that attention by the instructor is divided unequally, with the males receiving the majority; this however, does not seem to be true. Assuming of course that this argument is truthful and able to be proven, this would perhaps be a legitimate argument in the justification of such acts. If men receive more opportunities in education due to more attention, then we should change from the dual-sex system into a much more equitable system. I, however do not believe that there is any proof behind this argument. It seems to me that the majority of instructors divide their attention among the students fairly equally with no regard to gender. While I am sure that attention is not given equally to every individual in the classroom, I believe that the inequities are equally present among both males and females.
A separate argument for the separation of genders by schools deals with gender roles placed upon students of a coed school; these roles should apply to both males and females, but according to Estrich males are allowed to join any extra curricular activity they choose while women are forced into such activities as baton twirling and others of a lesser academic orientation. Similar to the argument concerning the division of attention, I also believe this argument is unjust. To say that a school should be separated into two separate single sex schools simply because females are supposedly forced into certain activities is preposterous. Truth be told, there is a problem with certain roles being forced upon students regardless of their sex. The corresponding male activity to baton twirling would be football or basketball or other physical sports. Alternative activities are offered in most schools including academic oriented clubs and organizations. The well-rounded student whether male or female, should be free to pursue both physically oriented and academically oriented passions. A single sex school is not necessary in my opinion to create an atmosphere where it is smart to do both. I believe that the rosters of virtually every school’s teams and organizations will provide evidence of this contention.
The final argument for the separation of schools by gender is the high level of self confidence felt by a graduate of an all-girls school versus the intimidation felt by women in a coed environment.. I find this argument to be much more viable than the previous two. Estrich claims that in her experiences at Wellesley, an all-girls school, proved to raise her self-esteem more than any other period in her life (389). I do not doubt that this is true because I agree that some women may indeed be intimidated by men in a classroom setting, thus causing them to hesitate to answer or ask a question for fear of appearing unintelligent or even ignorant. Not all women have this problem, however, and to take them out of a coed classroom would be overkill; the essence of education is to prepare the populace for a constructive and productive life as adults. For most of us this means interacting with and competing against both men and women for jobs and advancements. If a girl would benefit from a single sex environment to better prepare her for life in the adult world, then encourage her to choose that course. I do not believe that all girls would require such an environment. For those who do not have this problem then the idea of a coed classroom is the best option in order to achieve the highest rewards on an academic scale.
On the issue of separating schools or classrooms by gender I think everything should be widely considered before any rash decisions are made. While I do not agree with many of the arguments argued by Estrich in support of separate schools or classes, some of them seem to be well thought out and positive. My conclusion is that schools should not be exclusively gender separated but maybe high schools could begin offering single gender classes that students can elect to take if they think that it would help in their individual education process. That way students could try it out and if they like it they can continue on to a single sex college. The most important aspect of education is to learn and I believe that the environment where learning is best accomplished has to be made by the individual.
Do boys in the classroom hinder a girl’s learning process? Is she paying more attention to how her make-up looks than how to solve the next math problem? These are the types of questions raised in the debate between co-educational and single-sex schools. Attending both a co-educational and single-sex schools throughout my academic life, one can begin to see the differences and similarities between the two. There has long been a dilemma for parents over which type of education to chose for their child. In many ways, these two environments differ, but they are also similar in some ways.
Just because the population in co-educational school and single-sex schools is different, all schools practice a similar common curriculum. Whether you attend a co-educational school or a single-sex school, the quality of education stays pretty consistent throughout, depending on the specific school. Just because someone attends a single-sex school, their social life and participation in extra-curricular activities is very similar to that of co-educational schools. Even though an all-girls’ school might not have their own football team, they often pair up with all-boys’ school in order to participate through a brother school. Weekend and after-school activities remain constant whether someone attends a co-educational or single-sex school.
There are many extreme differences between the two types of schools. It has long been believed that girls can flourish in an all-girls environment because they don’t have to be self-conscious about answering questions in front of boys. The same thing goes for boys, who don’t feel the need to show off in order to impress all the girls. In single-sex schools, the students can feel more comfortable with themselves and more confident about their academic achievements. In some instances, single-sex education is seen as superior to co-educational schools because the students don’t have a change to worry about their appearances and they can concentrate more on their studies. In most single-sex schools uniforms are required, but even when they’re not, having a population of all one gender cuts down on the competition to see which girl or which guy has on the latest fashion. In single-sex environments, more focus is put on education and not on being popular with the opposite sex. One traditional difference that people think of between these two schools is the fact that most single-sex schools are private. Because most single-sex schools are private, they are also usually associated with some religious group. Another difference in a single-sex environment is the camaraderie one builds with his or her classmates. Spending every school day with a class of the same sex allows for a greater sense of bonding because everyone can share similar experiences, especially those that are specific to their gender. Using the cliche, “Boys will be boys,” when boys, as well as girls, are around a group of the same sex, they seem to be more relaxed and comfortable and able to talk about anything. Because groups of the same sex have so many personal, shared experiences that they can talk about freely with each other during school, stronger friendships are said to be forged in single-sex schools.
Most of the similarities and difference between these types of education stem from the stereotypes that are associated with each. Most of the similarities are social similarities, while most of the differences deal with education. The dilemma still exists in parents’ minds about which type of education will be the best for their child. Even though they should take the similarities and differences of each type of education into consideration, particular schools are different. While traditionally single-sex schools are seen as more beneficial because students can concentrate better, the similarities show that co-educational school also are advantageous to developing a student’s educational and social life.
The Bush Administration is considering opening more single sex schools and funds to make those institutions possible. Bush recently signed an education bill called “Leave No Child Behind (Toppo).” The new law allows school districts with single sex schools to compete for a small portion of $450 million for innovative programs. It also states that the school districts can receive federal dollars for single-sex schools and classes if comparable coursework and facilities are available to both genders. With single sex education a child is being left behind. It can be hard to understand why many organizations and individuals believe that single sex education is a good idea. Research on single sex education is open for much doubt, most of the research is inconclusive. Single sex schools might have more order than co-ed schools due to the fact that there would be no gender differences. There is no solid proof that single sex schools have a higher achievement rate than co-ed schools. More single sex schools are not the best move on the part of the Bush Administration and is a factor that needs to be reconsidered
