EDUCATION CO-ED OR SINGLE SEX
models of both genders on the staff, students can be inspired to do anything. And with an enlightened curriculum like the International Baccalaureate (IB), where all pupils must pursue arts and sciences, this becomes a non-issue. A common claim is that pupils feel more inhibited in a
co-ed setting, but all good schools enjoy a strong framework of pastoral care, and together with a culture that counters laddishness and sets clear boundaries, there’s no reason why girls and boys should feel inhibited in each other’s presence. Finally, what about the suggestion that pupils will be less
successful in sport at a co-ed school? In fact, there will almost certainly be a greater variety of sports at a co-ed school. The A-teams will most likely compete with the best, though obviously they might not enjoy the same strength in depth – this is a question of numbers of girls and boys available, not quality – but then only between 11 and 15 players comprise a first team anyway, so there are always limits on participation at the top level, whichever school you choose. It is important to remember that the point of education
quality of teaching, feedback, thinking skills and home encouragement, but not separation by gender. Many claims have been made about the culture of single-sex
schools. It is said they provide a gentler environment where pupils can grow at their own pace and ‘find themselves’. But these environments can also be unforgivingly bitchy or brutal compared to the civilising influence of co-ed schools. Young people ‘find themselves’ not by navel-gazing but in relation to others, so it is hard to see how they can achieve this if half the population remains unrepresented in their daily lives. Some contend that pupils will be distracted by the
opposite sex in co-ed schools. Of course they will, but this is an essential and formative part of growing up. Single-sex schooling seems based on an unspoken fear of the opposite sex – fear of otherness, of difference. Think of Harry Potter and Hermione – they may distract each other, but there’s little doubt that they are enriched and grow emotionally more mature in each other’s company. In co-ed schools, girls and boys learn to be friends, to work and play together, and feel more comfortable with each other as a result. Contrary to popular opinion they are also less obsessed with self-image than they might be in the cloistered environment of a single- sex school. Adolescent girls often seem to care more about what other girls think of them, and the same goes for boys. Single-sex school advocates argue that pupils in their
schools are more likely to take risks with non-traditional male and female subjects, but are boys really more likely to pursue ballet in a boys’ school? And will peer pressure lessen among girls opting for design? With positive role
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is to prepare students for university, work and life. In each of these, teamwork, emotional intelligence, mutual understanding and the ability to relate to others is crucial. These skills are better fostered in a co-ed environment that mirrors the conditions of real life. Independent schools are already refined and exclusive
places, socially determined by intelligence and the ability to pay fees. To further exclude students on the basis of gender seems archaic, even discriminatory, and a poor introduction to the world. Single-sex schooling enjoys a long
and honourable tradition, but is a legacy of a time when men and women enjoyed vastly different rights and expectations. Now those expectations are similar, doesn’t it make sense to educate boys and girls together? The Armed Forces, the judiciary, even the Anglican Church have seen the light. Parents should have the option,
“Te point of education is to prepare
students for university, work and life. Teamwork, emotional
intelligence, mutual understanding and the ability to relate to others is
crucial. Tese skills are better fostered in a co-ed environment that mirrors
of course, and in many ways this is a lifestyle choice. But if we want our students to be leaders in an interconnected world, they need to realise that, while we might comprise two genders, we are still one species and must learn to work together. The sooner students embrace this fact, the more likely it is they will enjoy success in work as well as emotional wellbeing and happiness in life. %
d What do you think? Email your opinion to
editor@firstelevenmagazine.co.uk
SUMMER 2010 FIRST ELEVEN 27
the conditions of real life”
DR CHRIS GREENHALGH,
Deputy Head,
Sevenoaks School
PHOTO: DOVER COLLEGE
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