Contents

1. Contents
2. Single Sex Schools or Co-Ed?
3. The perspective of a 15-year-old
   1. Does going to a single sex school really promote sexism or is it an easy path to success?
4. A 2023 perspective
5. Video
6. Writing (IELTS style!)
7. FREE Exercises!
8. Discussion
9. Extra Reading
10. References

Single Sex Schools or Co-Ed?

Single Sex Schools are schools which only allow the admission on one sex (either boys or girls), and are unexpectedly common in many countries all over the world, especially so in English speaking countries! Ireland has one of the highest proportions of single sex schools in western countries. In recent times, single sex schools have come under fire especially for not being as inclusive as co-ed schools.

So what is co-ed? Co-ed is an abbreviation for ‘Co-Educational’ and is used to refer to an institution which teaches both girls and boys (all genders actually) together.

Having gone to a girls’ school myself (which is nothing fancy and quite common in the UK), I’ve often thought about how that might have impacted my outlook on the world growing up.

Thinking back to my first year welcoming presentation at secondary school, proudly given to us by the Head Teacher at the time, something she said had really surprised me: “Coming here will be an amazing experience, and we study harder here than in regular schools, since there are no boys here to distract us!”. “Isn’t that a little sexist?” was the first thought that popped up into my 11 year old brain. Something about the whole idea of single sex schools just never sat straight with me. But, it was a good school and my parents wanted me to go there, so I just went along with it.

The perspective of a 15-year-old

Quite recently I came across an article I had written for a school project whilst I was still studying there, and I don’t think that my perspective has changed too much. It seems that in the years from Year 7 (the first year of secondary or high school in the UK) and onwards, something still didn’t make me comfortable with the idea of single sex schools. Here is an article written by 15 year old me:

Does going to a single sex school really promote sexism or is it an easy path to success?

Most people remember their time at school either with positive memories or bad ones. But what is it like for people who went to same sex schools? Do they really promote sexism or are they a recipe for success?

For many years the media has circulated the idea of same sex schooling and whether it should be continued. At the end of the day, you go to school for an education so why does it matter so much who you share your school experience with? Richard Cairns, head of Brighton College, wrote that children who go to same sex schools are at ‘a huge disadvantage’, as going to a same sex rather than a co-ed school can leave you socially inexperienced once you leave and enter the real world.

Having gone to an all-girls’ school, it’s clear to see that separation of the genders is inescapable, and will affect you in later life. Society’s objectification of women remains unchallenged and if boys are educated separately to girls then they have less chance of forming normal friendships, introducing an outdated ideology where boys would be more likely to take on a dominant role that degrades women. I experienced this firsthand, where boys from surrounding same sex schools freely and unequivocally used derogatory words to demean women, automatically assuming promiscuity because of their gender. This could be the result of masculine bravado which is rumoured to be reinforced in all boy’s schools. Inside the classroom, teachers would often tell us that we’re ‘smarter than boys’ and ‘more level headed’, ‘less easily distracted’. Is this the equality that feminists are fighting for? Wanting to escape these labels and form more positive friendships with all members of society, it was then that I decided to leave for a mixed school.

There are benefits, however, of single sex schools, in that statistics show that 75% of students achieve high GCSE grades in their teen years compared to the 55% at mixed sex schools. Relatedly, especially girls benefit from all girls’ schools, and achieve better in stereotypically male subjects, where there are no boys to intimidate them, allowing them to be more confident. So, evidence shows that academically, these schools are beneficial to young people, but that leaves the question: Do they really help to socially educate our children in a way which will be positive in later life too? After all, isn’t school nowadays just about learning information and stumbling upon life skills as time goes on?

A 2023 perspective

There is a lot of division when it comes to whether or not single-sex schools are beneficial to education. Most studies that support sex segregation are based on little research and not very well backed up. Overall, the studies that do support single sex education and support it as an effective way to enhance education, are based on studies conducted only in middle-upper class areas, which some experts could argue to be the reason for higher exam results- because in these areas teachers were seen to dedicate more time and effort to teaching academic subjects rather than dealing with social issues.

There are several studies that express that single sex schools actually seem to promote sexism, and even worse, most of the recorded incidents of sexism were attributed to teachers. There is a widespread perception that without the presence of the opposite sex, girls seem to outperform boys in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), and boys seem to do better than girls in arts and literacy. Take away the stigma and competition, and there is a better chance for progress… But again, the evidence for this is often not properly backed up. Not only this, but it has been found that the segregation of the sexes has resulted, in many cases, in the promotion of an environment of masculinity and male bravado.

So we have boys’ schools, girls’ schools, co-ed (mixed schools) and also a fourth and much less common option – co-ed schools but with single sex lessons, where classes are conducted in a single sex manner, but break time and extracurricular activities are used as a chance to socialise. A really interesting article written for the American Educational Research Journal asked ‘Would Harry and Hermione Have Done Better in Single-Sex Classes?’ and concluded that there was some improvement in test scores and a positive response from students, however this improvement did need certain pre-conditions to actually happen, for example that the senior staff had to be fully on board with the concept of single sex classes, the teaching strategy should have a motivational approach to learning, and that students had to accept the context of single sex classes too. Only in this ‘positive atmosphere’ was there an improvement in education.

So what do you think? Is there a case for single-sex schools?

Video

Practice your listening too with this snippet from Newstalk Belfast! The speed is fast and the accent Irish, so if you struggle a little to follow, don’t worry, you’ll find the transcript in in the worksheet below!

Writing (IELTS style!)

Single sex vs co-ed schooling is a topic that has come up a few times in past IELTS writing papers. Even if you’re not preparing for an exam any time soon, why not give it a try and practice writing a short response to this question:

Don’t forget to include a clear introduction, main body and conclusion, and write clearly and coherently. You’ll find an example answer in the FREE worksheet below!

FREE Exercises!

Practice for free with exercises, video transcript and more!

Discussion

Do you think attending a single-sex school can help students perform better academically? Why or why not?

What is your personal experience with single-sex or co-ed schools? Would you recommend one over the other?

Do you think single-sex schools or co-ed schools are more inclusive? Why?

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Extra Reading

The Guardian | Australia | Co-Ed VS Single Sex Schools

The Evening Standard | London Head Supports Single Sex Schools

The Telegraph | Single-sex Schools Can Reject Transgender Pupils

References

• Feniger, Y., 2011. The gender gap in advanced math and science course taking: Does same-sex education make a difference?. Sex roles, 65(9-10), pp.670-679.
• Halpern, D.F., Eliot, L., Bigler, R.S., Fabes, R.A., Hanish, L.D., Hyde, J., Liben, L.S. and Martin, C.L., 2011. The pseudoscience of single-sex schooling. Science, 333(6050), pp.1706-1707.
• Hubbard, L. and Datnow, A., 2005. Do single-sex schools improve the education of low-income and minority students? An investigation of California’s public single-gender academies. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, pp.115-131
• Younger, M.R. and Warrington, M., 2006. Would Harry and Hermione have done better in single-sex classes? A review of single-sex teaching in coeducational secondary schools in the United Kingdom. American educational research journal, 43(4), pp.579-620.