School gender separation

The History of Single-Sex Education

Single-sex education was the most commonly practiced and accepted method of education prior to the 19th century. As a result of social beliefs, aspirations, and opportunities ascribed to each gender, the institutional structure was. According to Gonchar (2014), “to facilitate their worldly expectations, boys were given more formal education.” On the other hand, ”girls received a less formal education, with greater emphasis on training practical skills in anticipation of their domestic tasks” (Gonchar).

Even so, in the United States, the single-sex school culture has almost entirely vanished. This is because people have realized that schools are social institutions where learners should be allowed to interact and enrich their academic as well as social lives. Notably, separation of boys and girls does not help improve the performance, but instead promotes entrenched stereotypes and creates a modern form of segregation.

The Equality of Learning Abilities

Firstly, every child possesses unique learning abilities. Women have hardly struggled to attain their rights. They do not need to be subjected to segregation once more. Also, sex does not influence learning; the human mind operates in a similar way for both girls and boys. Moreover, this would only bring back the notion of segregation in a different way. Secondly, ”critics argue that there is little evidence of significant differences in brain development for both girls and boys.” (Gonchar) Therefore, dividing girls and boys only reinforce gender stereotypes in the society. In turn, ”stereotypes limit children’s potential growth and development.” (Gonchar)

In conclusion, separation of boys and girls does not in any way improve academic excellence. If anything to go by it is the skills and experiences of the teachers in handling learners that translates to performance. Socialization and academic achievement are both essential to the development of whole individuals. Either way, the advantages of teaching boys and girls in the same schools outdo the disadvantages.

Work Cited

Gonchar, Michael. “Does Separating Boys and Girls Help Students Perform Better in School?”

The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Dec. 2014, learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/does-separating-boys-and-girls-help-students-perform-better-in-school/.