Single-sex, single-gender, all-boys or all-girls schools, whatever you call it, for some, it can be the ideal learning condition. The culture is still popular but has only gained more traction because of new researches backing the idea. The number of researches supporting the benefits of this pedagogy for girls is larger. However, it can be equally beneficial for boys. Boys learn in different ways than girls. Here are some reasons why single-sex education can be better for your child:
Education Tailored for One Gender
As we mentioned, experts believe that boys and girls learn things differently. There are many differences between the brains of girls and boys. For example, boys are better able to learn when they focus on one activity for a longer time. Boy’s language processing part develops later than girls. A boy’s brain goes into resting-state between each task.
If the teachers can keep these things in mind, then the teaching can be more personalised for everyone.
Better Competition
A school is supposed to embrace the individuality of the students. In a boys-only school, they tend to become more collaborative and forget about what others might think. That’s why boys doing orchestra and poetry is more in a boys’ school.
Girls tend to be more comfortable in an all-girls environment. In turn, their risk appetite increases. They tend to embrace sports more in such an environment without the worry of appearing a tomboy.
Elimination of Gender Stereotypes
In a traditional classroom, boys are taught to be collaborative and girls to become leaders. In a single-gender environment, we can go beyond the traditions. In such a setup, girls are more comfortable with mathematics, advances sciences, computers, technology etc. Boys also participate more in the arts, humanities, languages etc.
Such a setup promote breaking the gender-based stereotypes around learning and help students get a more holistic education.
More Sensitive Boys
We often say how girls are sensitive, but boys can be pretty sensitive too. A single-gender setup allows them to nurture their soft side as well.
In a co-ed set up, teachers are more careful about the girls’ feelings and offer them ample opportunities to express their emotions. The case is not the same for boys, it’s just they are less vocal about their emotions.
In a single-sex classroom, teachers can help their students access and express their emotions in a better way. Also, it is noted that boys are able to better converse while moving.
Conclusion
What you choose to do with the information is a matter of belief. The concept of co-education thrives on equality of both genders and that’s why it feels like a good way to go. That’s why most of the private and public schools are co-ed. We have been seeing this model in abundance. Otherwise, later on, they tend to be awkward around the other gender and face difficulty dealing with them. In modern office environments, this can be a big hurdle.
But in the big scheme of things, there is not much research to prove that single-gender classrooms are much better than their co-educational counterparts. But if you believe boys and girls learn differently, then you should follow the single-sex pedagogy.
