Same sex education, also known as the single sex education imposes advantages and disadvantages to the students enrolled in this type of schooling. Both male and female students may enjoy or detest the experiences they may have in this kind of setting. Nevertheless, as the researches suggest, this educational set-up yields students more beneficial and positive results. Same Sex Education: The Effects on the Students Issues on same sex schooling become debatable through time. It becomes the central discussion of different education sectors. Proponents and opponents of the said educational setting have been taking this issue on perspective since education has been recognized.
However, its effectiveness is still in question. Same sex education or schooling can also be coined as single sex education or schooling. In this educational setting, a class or a school at large is composed of students of the same sex. It is the entire opposite of the coeducational education setting—both sexes share a common class and activities. Aside from the issue of effectiveness, people concern on the same sex setting also take into account the beneficial and downside effects of this to the students—both male and female.
Statistics shows, according to the National Association for Single Sex Public Education (NASSPE), that same sex schooling or the same sex education setting has increased in popularity and support in the past decade. To date, there are 25 single sex public schools in the United States which were established in huge number in 1996. Likewise, 72 other schools offer single sex classes. Experts suspect that the growing trend of same sex education will continue (2004).
Research on the advantage of the students in same sex education over the coeducation setting has not resulted to any general conclusion. A survey research conducted in 1988 by the American Association of University Women supported the previous claim that indeed same sex education setting has no overall benefit to the students. However, there are also researches on the same issue suggesting that girls and boys have varying means of learning—girls acquire knowledge differently compared with boys. Also, some students were found out to learn better when separated from the opposite sex (Schemo, 2004). Russell-Baca debates on the issue on whether same sex education promotes stereotyping among male and female students.
The popular belief about same sex education upholds stereotyping—that boys must be an engineer and girls must be a teacher or a nurse. However, Russell-Baca claims that this idea is inaccurate. In coeducational school (mixed-educational setting), boys are afraid to be labeled as homosexual so they would not take art courses.
Likewise, they would not take advanced courses in any subject in fear of being called geek or genius. Nevertheless, girls would not focus or take courses related to math and science in the fear of being labeled as masculine (2007). Effects on Students: General Perspective According to Russell-Baca, putting students in a same sex will make it emotionally easier for them.
Issues on gender stereotypes are not huge. Girls become at ease in participating in sports and in the traditionally male dominated fields. Without boys to tease them, girls become more outspoken—stand in front more frequently and become more competitive. On the contrary, since boys need not worry about the girls’ say on them, they become collaborative and less competitive—positive social interaction. Unlike in the coeducational setting where the concept of stereotypes is at large, in same sex education, boys don’t bother in participating in the arts courses together with the other boys. Proponents of same sex schooling claim that this setting gives freedom to the students, which in turn, builds self-esteem and improve their self-confidence.
In addition, they tend to have more focus and concentration on their studies since they are free from the distractions brought about by the social and peer pressures in the coeducational settings (2007). However, opponents of this educational setting, mainly the National Organization for Women, argue that same sex schooling would eliminate the effectiveness of the Title IX, which is the—“ 1972 higher Education Act, calling for federally funded educational institutions to treat males and females equally in schools and in sports. ” A number of those who are against the same sex education claim that this setting will result to two events. First, students may explore getting in to homosexual relationships. Second, this may increase more the gender stereotypes and possibly, homophobia (2007). According to a research by Dr. Leonard Sax, director of NASSPE, girls are more comfortable and learn best in a friendly setting. For instance, the Young Women’s Leadership School in New York, a same sex school wherein students and faculty calls each other on a first-name basis, enable all its students to go to college—a positive results for the students.
(Mendez, 2004) Effects on Girls Girls get the advantage in the same sex education setting. Girls get the attention of the teachers. They tend to acquire leadership skills as observed from the faculty, especially with the principal—this shows women in leadership roles. In same sex school, the tendency is to have female teachers to teach math and other hard sciences which may encourage female students to engage in these male dominated fields. The curriculum designed for same sex education includes women in roles which features authority and are nontraditional.
Girls tend to gain high self-esteem not as a result of either being popular at school or because of physical beauty but more due to their academic achievements. Girls are more active in participating in various extracurricular activities and take more leadership roles. Similarly, girls grab opportunities in the field of sports in place to male athletes (Russell-Baca, 2007).
Effects on Boys Ward in an article in the Herald Tribune, gives points on the fair advantages of boys in same sex education. Given the kind of place that cares for boys in their “ boyness,” they have a great capacity for goodness and camaraderie, artistry and athletic prowess, competition and cooperation, and empathy and emotional expressiveness (2006). Ward also stresses that schools promoting good implementation of single sex schools and classes for girls and boys give freedom to each individual from the differences—developmental and learning—between them. Similarly, this setting gives them an option to explore the opportunities of experiencing what it really means to be human, without the distractions of the thought about the other sex (2006). In same sex education, boys find themselves in different functions—as athlete, an actor or a scholar. They have more confidence to stand and speak up in class without the fear of being embarrassed in front of female classmates. Also, in this setting, the unique emotional and social needs of females are being addressed.
Nonetheless, same sex education setting has also negative implications on boys. An all-boys school may push boys to have feeling of disapproval or contempt for girls. It may also reinforce the issue of stereotypes. (Sather, 2008) Conclusion Same sex education has big implications on the students involved. Researches show that this kind of educational setting has more positive effects on the students both in male and female in comparison to the coeducational setting. Nonetheless, it is still of high importance for the parents and the students to consider the pros and cons of both educational settings so as to choose the perfect one that will suit the needs and demands of the students. Researches suggest that the benefits that students may get from this setting are more in the social, mental, emotional and physical developments.
First, in social sense, for instance, boys become more collaborative with other boys instead of being competitive as encourage in a coeducational setting. However, the downside of this is that, boys may become less sociable to girls. Second, in mental development, since everyone is free from peer pressures, each gets a chance to focus on his or her studies, thus improving his or her academics. Third, students in the same sex schooling are in right emotional state since they need not to worry about the negative feedbacks they may get from the opposite sex. Fourth, physically, both girls and boys are improved and developed because they tend to participate in extracurricular activities that they don’t usually involved themselves in.
In addition, they are free from any sexual harassments or inhibitions, thus making them sexually and physically healthy.
