What do you think of single sex education?

[Deleted]

I know it's late on a Friday to get into such a discussion but I want to talk about it so humor me.

Did you go to a single sex school?  Would you like your children to attend one?  Does your answer change if you have a boy or a girl?  Does your answer change depending on grade level?

I've never been a boy but as the mother to two of them I'm more and more curious about the advantages.  What are your thoughts?

[Deleted]

I didn't, but by chance, in 1981 in a small town in Saskatchewan, there were many more girls than boys born, so I was always in a class with almost all girls (graduated with 18 girls / 6 boys).

Knowing my experience, and knowing a bit about education via my DH and other teacher friends, I'd actually be a fan of single-sex education. It's not a real option here, though, so I'll never have to decide.

[drloretta]

I went co-ed all the way.

I would be fine with my child attending one if it seemed the right fit for her.

My answer doesn't change based on sex, possibly on grade level.

My answer really depends on the child, and has been my experience in talking with MOOKs. My nephew is in his freshman year at an all-boys Jesuit school. He ADORES it. BUT it would be a horrible fit for his younger brother, who will be starting HS in 2 years. He will likely go to a co-ed school, because it fits his personality and interests better.

A former co-worker wants her daughter to go to an all-girls school, but more because the girls there are the types of kids she wants her daughter to be around, and their sports program would be in line with her daughter's interests.

[havarti]

This is pretty much a non answer -- but I think it depends heavily on the child, the family, and the school.

[Deleted]

I personally didn't go to a single-sex school, but had lots of friends who did (private Catholic schools). My boy-crazy, high school self wouldve hated it, but I can definitely see the advantages. If my memory is correct, the all-boys school and all-girls school did a lot of extracurriculars together, so it wasn't like they were completely sheltered from everything.

I would consider it for my DD if needed. I think it would be towards the bottom of my list, but it would definitely be a valid option if needed. I'd prefer public school, then good ol' coed private school (probably Catholic or Christian), then all-girls Catholic school.

[Deleted]

A school here tried to separate boys and girls in two separate rooms for 3 grades.
It lasted a year before they went back to "normal" for a lot of reasons.
I am definitely not a fan

[h]

As a general matter, I prefer co-ed schools for much the same reason that I would consider any sort of diversity a positive in an educational setting--I like the idea of kids getting to share the perspective of and learn to get along with students who are different than them. That said, I am sure there are circumstances in which single-sex education would be the best choice for a particular kid. My friends who went to girls' schools loved it.

I would not consider it for my boys in large part because they have two brothers and no sisters, so I feel like their lives are already largely a single-sex environment and want them around girls at school. And I have to admit that anecdotally, most of the guys I know who went to all-boys' schools are total assholes, with a few notable exceptions.

[Velar Fricative]

There are several private Catholic schools in this city that are single-sex and I know many people who attended single-sex schools and loved it. I don't think it's an option I would seek out necessarily but if the opportunity arose I would consider it. Since we know DD will attend public school (at least in K-8) I just haven't thought about it too much.

[eport]

There were quite a few all boys and all girls schools in my area growing up. My parents gave both my brother and I a choice, we had to go to a Catholic school but we could choose which one that was.

I looked at both the local coed school and two different all girls schools. I chose an all girls school and absolutely loved it. The school was the perfect fit for me and after being a bit bullied/socially awkward in middle school, the all girls enviroment really allowed me to blossom both socially and academically. Looking back, this was the best decision for me and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

My brother choose to attend an all boys school and again it was the perfect fit for him. He was able to do both sports/music and it just fit his pesonality. In fact, he has gone on to teach and coach at a different all boys school (a rival to his own). He would attribute alot of his sucess to going to an all boys school.

We both really enjoyed it and I would highly recommend single sex ed for both boys and girls. However, I know it is not a fit for everyone and it is just as important to find a school that fits with the kid and there are a lot of variables that become involved.

[rex]

i went to an all-girl's catholic high school and i had a wonderful experience. i would happily send L to the right one if i could afford it.

the school i went to was pretty liberal, and that would be important to me.

but alas, i am poor so L will be going to public school lol

[anaps28]

I went to private all girls school from 6-12th grade and really loved it. I have boys but haven't considered same sex education but possibly private depending on their needs. But I have to agree with @natariru on the aspect of seeing some ridiculous shit go down.

[kershnic]

Do they have non-religious single sex k-12 schools? My kids will not attend a religious school so I think this is a non- question. For college they can do whatever they want within financial limitations.

I think there can be advantages and disadvantages of single sex education beyond the religion aspect.

I really hope we can live in a good school district and coed public school will be obvious and work well for my kids. Fingers crossed.

[stealthmom]

My schools were all coed but I think ss ed is the bees knees.

[stealthmom]

Dec 19, 2014 15:56:41 GMT -5 kershnic said:

Do they have non-religious single sex k-12 schools? My kids will not attend a religious school so I think this is a non- question. For college they can do whatever they want within financial limitations.

I think there can be advantages and disadvantages of single sex education beyond the religion aspect.

I really hope we can live in a good school district and coed public school will be obvious and work well for my kids. Fingers crossed.

there are a few in my home town. I'm unsure about my current city. A lot of schools are not particularly religious but are technically affiliated with a church.

[kershnic]

Dec 19, 2014 15:59:06 GMT -5 @mrsbecky said:

Dec 19, 2014 15:56:41 GMT -5 kershnic said:

Do they have non-religious single sex k-12 schools? My kids will not attend a religious school so I think this is a non- question. For college they can do whatever they want within financial limitations.

I think there can be advantages and disadvantages of single sex education beyond the religion aspect.

I really hope we can live in a good school district and coed public school will be obvious and work well for my kids. Fingers crossed.

Yes, they do have non-religious single sex schools. Baltimore has a lot - it's why I always distinguish between private and Catholic schools.

Yeah, I know there are non-religious private schools. Just never been familiar with one that was also single sex.

Where I grew up public school was substantially better academically than Catholic school, and I am not Catholic, so it always surprises me how many people are interested in Carholic schools.

[linz]

We have a few of them for high school in my town. I didnt go and had no interest. I know they're good schools for education but I wouldnt send me kids there. Just dont care for it.

[holly116]

DH and I went to coed public schools. We plan to send the kids to parochial schools. There are both single sex and coed options at the high school level so we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I definitely see the appeal but my mm self likes the idea of the discounts involved if they all go to the same school. We'll see.

[v]

My husband went to an all boys Catholic school and I think that it did him but more particularly his friends NO favors at all. Not in how they relate to girls, what they think about women's prospects for success, and what they know about birth control and periods and fertility and all of that (that could be in large part due to the Catholic element, but I think the all male environment contributed too).

I definitely see the advantage of single-sex education for certain females though.

[h]

Dec 19, 2014 15:56:41 GMT -5 kershnic said:

Do they have non-religious single sex k-12 schools? My kids will not attend a religious school so I think this is a non- question. For college they can do whatever they want within financial limitations.

I think there can be advantages and disadvantages of single sex education beyond the religion aspect.

I really hope we can live in a good school district and coed public school will be obvious and work well for my kids. Fingers crossed.

All the single sex schools I can think of off the top of my head are either not religiously affiliated or historically Episcopal (as many prep schools seem to be) but in practice not really religious any more.

[rootbeerfloat]

I went to an all-girls school for 1st grade only. It wasn't long enough or at a time in my development critical enough for me to say whether it was a good or bad thing.

I prefer co-ed schools in the abstract, but if it seemed a good fit for either of my kids, I would consider it.

[cinco]

It isn't something we will consider due to finances, but I could totally see my DD in an all girls school. We live in a rural area and I don't think we have any near us. There is one Catholic high school that I know of in the whole county (and one posh boarding school), and that is about it.

[purplecow0206]

I think it's great when the child can choose it (meaning high school and/or college). I went to a women's college and there were some students that had been at the private Catholic girls school from K, and while some of them were fine, some of them definitely would have benefited from a coed environment.

That said, I LOVED my women's college experience and would support A in seeking something similar out if it was of interest to her.

[ginkgoleaf]

I went to an all-girls private (non-religious) school for 6-12th grade. The school was K-12. My parents gave me the choice of going to the private school or public school and I chose the private because it was smaller and had a big arts program. They were/are both excellent schools. I definitely see the advantages for girls, but agree with whoever said that all-boys schools tend to produce a lot of assholes - I saw that with our "brother" school.

For DS, I wouldn't seek it out unless there was some reason to. And I can't even think of one near where we live, all I can think of are Catholic schools and that would never happen with us. For a girl, I would consider it more, but again, I don't know of any in our area.

I'd like to be MM and chose public school. We're hoping DS will go to a charter school that we live super close to and is focused on the environment for K-8, but it's a lotto system so we'll see.

[Marmee]

I did not go to any single sex schools (not an option in rural Midwest) but I went to Catholic k-6 & 9-12 (public 7-8). My kids go to co-Ed Catholic until 9th grade. Then we are heavily leaning toward all-girls Catholic school (2 to choose from in my city). The academics are better in one but the other has a companion boys school on the same campus so they'd have more opportunities to interact, just not in class. Soon torn which one, we'll play it by ear until the time comes. My HS experience was marred pretty heavily by distractions that came with the boys in my classes. I just feel like it'd be way easier to focus on academics w/out the distraction. My Mom went to all-girls Catholic in Chicago and LOVED it. Her Best friend went to an All-Girls Catholic Boarding & LOVED it. I'll admit their experience sways me though times are different now. But I'm also even considering maybe sending my kids to my HS 1000 miles away as boarding students even though it's co-ed. So who knows? I've got basically only 4yrs to decide left! Lol!
Oh & I'll admit the fact that I have 4 girls plays in a lot. If I had boys or a mix (that would be in school together) I'd probably be less rigid.

[matildasun]

I have not looked at the research recently, but at one point some studies, especially the ones mentioned in Failing at Fairness  showed that single-sex education had a positive impact on girls, but did not show the same results for boys.

[Deleted]

I would have loved an all girls high school.

I agree if would depend on the school and kid. I think there can definitely be advantages.

We have pretty good public schools in my county, so I don't expect my kid will go to single sex schools/classrooms.

[anna7602]

I went to a single sex HS. It had its pros and cons. I'm not opposed to DD or DS going to a single-sex school, but I don't know of any at the HS level that aren't religious. I have more of an issue with religious school, well, specifically Catholic school, than with the fact that the Catholic HS I attended wasn't co-ed. I won't send my kids to Catholic school.

I have more to say, but my brain is fried right now after a crazy week (as my FB postings indicate).

[auntie]

I attended public coed schools, I have friends who attended single sex archdiocesan high schools. For some of the girls, it was very empowering to have all of the leadership filled by other girls, though some did get a little boy-crazy and had trouble relating to boys as friends.

DS had a couple of years in private school where he was part of an all-boy class; there were advantages to this as teachers tended to be more hands on and experiencial in their teaching style rather than spewing rote instruction.

[rugbywife]

I have done every system under the sun as a student (I joke not: girls only, both sexes, public, semi-private, private, international, American, British, French, Canadian, etc…on three continents, in 5 countries and in 2 decades, lol - edit: English only language, French only language, French/English immersion too).

I found no real difference between any of it. School was just always school - at least that was my perspective as a student.

[quickstepstar]

I was always in a co-ed schools. I have all girls. I would consider an all girls school in theory, but I think most of them are religious, and I will never put my kids in a religious school of any sort.