Say “NO” to Single-Sex Schools

Researchers found that, there is no significant correlation in academic performance between studying in single sex school and coed school.  According to Janet Shibley Hyde, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, advantages of studying in single-sex school are trivial and in many cases, nonexistent.  The research was published by the American Psychological Association analyzing 184 studies of more than 1.6 million students from around the word.  The analysis, funded by the National Science Foundation included 1,663,662 participants in 21 countries and the study examined the performance of the students in Math, Science, and as well as verbal skills. There were no significant differences found in the skills between boys and girls in single-sex or coed classrooms.

In her book Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How small Differences Grow into Troublesome Gaps and What We Can Do About It, Dr. Eliot discusses the insignificance of single-sex school in great detail.  According to Dr. Eliot four of six districts closed their single-sex school after two years in spite of a $500,000 grant given to each district. From the study done on a pilot school, researchers found that there were not many advantages that were discovered.  However, there was less distraction from the opposite sex.  In addition, they also found some disturbing disadvantages including gender stereotype. Although, they did not find any evidence for academic improvement in single-sex schools.

Dr. Eliot mentions that gender of the faculty plays an important role. According to study, girls and boys each do slightly better in Science, English and Social Studies classes if they were taught by teaches of the same sex. Students feel more comfortable around faculties of the same sex as theirs; it makes them learn better.  Dr. Eliot suggests coed school that they need to accept that gender of a faculty is an important basis of childrens' individual needs.

Besides all the given facts, Dr. Eliot’s main argument in the book is to emphasize on gender equality.  She directs the readers’ focus to the fact that men and women need to get comfortable with each other as earlier in their life stages as they can since they will be required to work together, compete together, and also develop a sense of trust and mutual respect toward each other.

Having said that, to my belief, I agree with Dr. Eliot’s arguments and I think it is just as important for one to regard the opposite sex with much esteem and admiration.  In the later years of life, people will require to maintain togetherness and work in teams to produce efficient results.  Therefore, knowing their strengths and weaknesses would be an essential element.  Being in a co-education school would also eliminate barriers between the two genders and bring about more openness.  It would be easier to come up with ideas and gain knowledge about the views from both sexes.  Hence, I would both recommend and promote co-educational schools rather than single-sex schools.

References :

Eliot, Lise. Pink Brain, Blue Brain: how small differences grow into troublesome gaps and what we can do about it. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 2009. Print

Erin Pahlke, Janet Shibley Hyde, Carlie M. Allison. The Effects of Single-Sex Compared With Coeducational Schooling on Students’ Performance and Attitudes: A Meta-Analysis.. Psychological Bulletin, 2014; DOI: 10.1037/a0035740

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140203093426.htm