Are Single Sex Schools better for girls than Mixed Schools?

The reason all girls schools were established in the first place was because in the past, it was only men who received an education.  This was obviously a great step forward for women who could receive the same academic education as men.  Previously there were only boys' single sex schools and this helped to redress the balance.  Women teachers themselves were often discriminated against.  In the past, the all male schools employed mostly male teachers, therefore this discrimination was also redressed by the formation of girls only schools which allowed the newly qualified female teachers to gain employment.  I think these women who had to be twice as good as men to qualify as a teacher and then to gain employment, knew the difficulties which their female pupils would encounter and were in a position to encourage girls to reach their full academic potential.  They were also in a position to instill their pupils with a confident manner. I feel that these goals would be easier to achieve in an all girls school as there would be no added pressures or distractions from the opposite sex which are sometimes present in mixed schools.

The inclinations of children in the formative years are to gravitate towards their own sex. Girls naturally stick together and learn from each other when they are young and boys tend to do the same in the early years. It is therefore easier to teach children of one gender. The formative years of children are the best time to expose them to the company of the other gender, in order that they may learn each others’ behaviour and be better prepared for adult life. This system works well in the primary school however as the children reach puberty, certain problems arise between the two sexes.  In my experience in a co-educational school I found that girls do mature earlier than boys who, in the main, continue to be disruptive in class and not as focused as the girls in their studies.  This leads to more class time being taken up in discipline problems which has an impact on the ability of the whole class to achieve their full potential. Take the boys out of the equation and girls are able to concentrate more fully on their studies.

Some people say the main drawback of single sex schools is the lack of opportunity to communicate with members of the opposite sex.  Even if the child goes to a co-educational primary school, there are a possible six years of single sex secondary education.  This could have a lasting effect on the ability to deal confidently with a situation when both sexes come together. When they leave school, they may not know what way to go about talking or communicating with members of the opposite sex and this may affect their roles in the workplace or when they go on to study in University or College.

In my opinion this is an unrealistic argument as girls and boys co-exist naturally, for instance most families are mixtures of males and females who communicate day in day out in their normal family setting.  There will always be a mixture of male and female teachers with whom the child will have to communicate and they will also meet persons of the opposite sex in extra curricular activities.

Overall I agree with the option of parents and children having the choice of going to co-educational schools or single sex schools.  Having had the experience of going to both mixed and single sex schools I am confident that I have benefited more from a single sex education system. I have found that there are less discipline problems in an all girls school and I am constantly being encouraged to reach my full academic and personal potential.  I also feel that the teachers in single sex schools are able to concentrate more fully on their pupils education which is a huge benefit.