Don’t Segregate! Do Segregate!

All-girl schools have been gaining popularity in recent years because of the belief that girls can learn better when they aren’t competing with or intimidated by boys, who statistically get more attention than girls in the classroom. Do you think single-sex schools are a good idea? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your positions.

            Everyone knows each person in the world is their own individual, meaning they have their own sense of style, way of thinking, and way of learning and understanding. With this being said it should be observed that they way a person is able to perceive information varies among the individual. The distractions and benefactors of how that specific person learns vary also. So, while same-sex schools might work for some they probably won’t work for a lot of people. When it comes to this matter, I believe the cons outweigh the pros.

            While I can see the benefits of same sex schools, like fewer distractions from the opposite sex and more gender sensitive and tolerant topics, the discrepancies are much more discernible in my opinion. Yes I do admit having the opposite sex in a classroom can be very diverting at times, especially if one or both parties like each other. But if you think about it, being exposed to coed classrooms builds social skills. The real world isn’t going to be single sex; you are going to have to deal with people of the opposite sex so learning how to cope from a young age is crucial. Another benefit that results from coed classes are you get opinions from both sides. When having a discussion on, let’s say healthy relationships, you are able to hear and interpret both the female and male point of view on the topic. This is important because it equips you for life; being armed with both view points on a topic heightens your eligibility for success.

            My next point would be that girls are pushed harder to do better when they are in a classroom with boys. The studies may say boys get more attention in the classroom, but in my opinion that just means girls are provoked to try that much harder to show the boys up. This may create a competitive feel to the class, but I think it is all for the better. The way I see it is that if I can outshine my male counterpart and get the praise from the teacher he so easily obtains, then that means I must be ten times better than him. As for boys intimidating girls in the class, I feel that is an overstatement. I for one have never been intimidated in a classroom, let alone by a boy! If anything I would be the one doing the intimidating.

            With all this information I am sure persuasion is sure to follow. I myself don’t feel that separation by gender in school is advantageous. There are too many short-term and long-term set backs that trace this strategy. So if you ask me I say to keep the schools integrated for the sake of a productive future.