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Position paper: Should public schools offer single sex instruction

There has been controversy regarding single sex schools, and more information about the matter needs to be known (Sullivan & Joshi & Leonard, 2010). According to Diana Urbina, students should have options when it comes to matters that concern the schools they want to attend. In the United States, most public schools are coeducational, and this means that the girls and boys are educated separately. Research has found out that it is indeed quite vital to have separate schools for girls and for boys. Single sex schools make students prosper in their careers, have self confidence and even achieve excellent results. Unfortunately, only students who can afford private school can attend single sex schools (Urbina, 2011. 716).

This paper seeks to give a critical analysis concerning why students need to have more options on schools that they can attend. Furthermore, it seeks to give reasons why others are not accommodating to the idea of single sex schools.

Critical analysis of single sex schools

Various studies, which have been performed by researchers, have all proven that academic performance is high in single sex schools. For example, in Australia, a study gave conclusive results that those in single sex schools have higher standardized test scores, as compared to those in coed schools. This is enough evidence to prove that the latter is indeed true, and other research has proven it to be true. On the other hand, those in coed public schools often do not perform well, as they even lack enough resources beneficial for learning (Urbina, 2011. 718).

Also, it is known that when girls and boys are together they behave differently, as compared to if they were together. When they are together and in a school setting, they tend to focus on matters that are not of importance. They are usually involved in activities, which are for the purposes of socialization. For example, the girls will find ways to make themselves appealing to the boys, instead of concentrating on school matters. In turn, their academic performance will decline, since they are busy with things that will not help them in school. In single sex schools, the students concentrate on their studies, as there are no people from the opposite sex to impress in class (Urbina, 2011. 717).

Lastly, according to David Sadker, a social scientist, it is indeed true that when students are secluded with their own gender, they perform well. Furthermore, even boys perform well as girls in single sex schools as research has proven. Sadker carried out a study by videotaping behaviors displayed by teachers in coed and single sex schools (Paton & Moore, 2012). The results he found were extremely horrifying and shocking. For example, most teachers often used boys as role model examples in coed schools. In turn, the girls often felt disappointed, and this made them perform poorly due to low self esteem. Gender stereotypes, which exist, discriminate females as witnessed from the research carried out by Sadker. It is thus crucial that girls and boys school separately (Urbina, 2011. 719).

Conclusion

In conclusion, single sex schools are more advantageous as compared to coed schools. More should be done to ensure that public schools offer single sex schooling. Research has proven that students perform better when they are with others from their own gender. Indeed, single sex schools are a good option for learning well.

Work Cited

Urbina, Diane. Single-Sex Schools: An Old Idea Whose Time has come. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.Print.

Sullivan, A. & Joshi, H. & Leonard, D. ‘Single-sex Schooling and Academic Attainment at School and through the Life course’. American Educational Research Journal 47, 1, (2010): 6-36

Paton, Graeme. & Moore, Matthew. HYPERLINK “http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5008712/Girls-do-better-in-single-sex-schools.html” “Girls ‘do better in single-sex schools'”. The Daily Telegraph(London). HYPERLINK “http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5008712/Girls-do-better-in-single-sex-schools.html” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5008712/Girls-do-better-in-single-sex-schools.html. Retrieved 30 January, 2012.