Viramontes 1

Ashley Viramontes
Ms. Ingram
English III
May 5, 2014
Single Sex vs Co-ed Schooling
School is a place where students make aware of the basics of the life, which further helps
them to foster their ability level in different aspects of life required in this competitive world, and
the most important part of school is not where students get time to socialize with each other, but
to learn. Making the option of getting a good education is a good way for sucess. Single-sex
schools benefit students and they provide better education compared to co-ed schools. Many
people might say the single sex schools are ineffective, because girls and boys need to know how
to communicate with the opposite sex. Co-ed school is being outdated by single sex schools
because of the commitment the students have and knowledge they have with being themselves at
school. Parents should be enforced to help children reach their full dreams without the thought of
humility standing in their way. Some feel that students who attend a same-sex school will have
difficulty after they graduate and will not be able to interact with co-eds in college or find a job
in a diverse workplace. Students dont have to deal with distractions, gender differences, and are
more comfortable in a homogeneous environment.
Distractions may cause the students to get bad grades in a Co-ed school. In a single sex
school it would be easy to be able to pay attention and figure out what is most important which
are grades. In single sex schools, students do not have to worry about sexual attraction of the
opposite sex. This enables the students to concentrate more in their studies and less on
socialization, or any other social situations. When students are in a single-sex classroom they

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learn more so they do not have the distractions some students have in a co-ed classroom.
Another reason single-sex schooling is a good idea is students have more study time to get more
work done. In single-sex sschools, academically inclined children are not made fun of(Co-ed
or single-sex 3). Students in a single-sex school tend to eliminate a lot of drama that may happen,
such as girls fighting over the same boy, this will cause drama not only with one girl, but with
both students, and maybe even the boy. One article written said Teenagers it helps them to get
on with school work there is no trying to impress the other (sex) and competing for
boyfriends(Co-ed or Single Sex). This should enable the student with no distraction and worry
more on studies than gender differences.
In Co-ed schools gender differences may think their smarter than each other and they
compete. In a single-sex school, its surrounded by the same-sex. Its better to be comfortable and
be able to not get defeated from the opposite sex. This relates as if They know that the boys
influence the girls and they really do have more confidence to speak for themselves when boys
arent around(Schachter). Mimi Lufkin, who is CEO of the National Alliance for Partnerships
in Equity, focuses on 18 pratical and specific recommendations that were designed to help
teachers examine their Biases and make changes(Aldridge,Kohler,Christensen). Mimi Lufkin
says that Do not group students by gender, since such groupings often imply that females are
not as qualified as males. (Aldridge, Kohler,Christensen) Many people might say the single sex
schools are ineffective because girls and boys need to know how to communicate with the
opposite sex. Mimi Lufkin says that they said that its their focus on the students that improves
learning. (Patterson).This may give an example as girls or boys can be opened up when they
want to diminish their ability to answer and not be criticized. Students may also be teased and

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not feel safe around Co-ed students. This would be better for the students to be in a homogenous
environment.
Homogenous Environment is the best solution towards education. Especially in a Co-ed
school you do not get the oppurtunity to be able to interact with the opposite sex if you are not a
very outgoing person. Quiet children tend to suffer in co-ed schools because of pressure to
socialize and date;they feel more comfortable in single-sex schools. In a single-sex school your
more eligible to stay focused and realize that the student does not need the distraction and their
confidence with the same sex that understands that student. As an article stated From
information we gather through the life Talk forums, teachers say that academically, children
perform better at single-sex schools(Co-ed or Single). It is easy to apply yourself to a single-sex
school because the student will know they are making the right choice. It may seem boring but it
is worth it if the student is willing to stay focused on their education and stay on top of things.
In the past five years, there has been an extraordinary surge of interest in single-sex public
education. Five years ago, only 16 public schools in the United States offered any kind of singlesex educational oppurtunities . In 2007-2008, more than 300 public schools will offer single-sex
classrooms(duke). This may also help the student get better grades than in a Co-ed school with
all the distractions and not be as much social.
As the benefit of the doubt some children are very social and may be the choice for others
who can handle both things at once. It may have a better oppurtunity with socializing in group
activities and more.Helen is now 18 and preparing to leave the North-East to study Economics
at Cambridge. She suggests, When your child reaches the secondary stage, however, you may
feel it a natural and healthy option for your child to mix with the opposite sex (single-sex or Coed 12). Most students know how the game plays in high school and are easy to connect with

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others. Many people think co-ed schools can handle being around different sex but if they can
handle having good grades in elementry school with boys and girls then they may have a higher
chance of suceeding in high school and there would be no distractions.An article from single-sex
or Co-ed states, Co-ed schools give young people a more realistic prospective on relationships
and better prepares them for university. This may give the student to be social enough to bond
with the opposite sex. If they are not that social and want to be, co-ed schools teach students how
to interact with the opposite sex. Co-ed schools make the Boys/girls not so tense when their next
to each other because their used to seeing the opposite sex everyday.
There are many jokes and talks which students feel comfortable to share with the same
sex but not with the opposite sex .As Mary Williams, the executive headmistress at Roedan
School, said Girls schools were best placed to develop the type of women society needed(coed or single) . Unisex schools are highly better than co-ed schools. Moreover in the world
women are badly harassed sometimes which we are aware often to know from the news. This is
because men feel they are greater than females in all aspects, but in a unisex school no boy or
girl feels that he or she she is stronger than the other and they are equally living peacefully.
Single-sex schools are the best for the students because it gives them the oppurtunity to
have a life in high school that they are comfortable with. The student can act themselves around
the same sex and come out more instead of being tense about school work. Teachers may also
take the time to work with the same-sex so they know they have the same aspect of being a
women/man and concentrating together. Girls think like as if they have the same mind as well.
Co-ed schools have some Pros that parents look most for, for their own children. For
example one is preparing for the future world. Most girls are more nervous because in a singlesex school since they do not see the other sex , girls around boys seem to change a personality

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and have closure toward them. Studies have shown that male students exposure to female
classmates can have a calming effect, which shows that simply combining boys and girls in
classes has an effect on behavior. Studies have also shown that males and females do have
different patterns of behavior and attitudes that may allow the opposing sex to prepare the other
sex for survival in the world and advances open-mindedness. Many students believe they will
go to a co-ed school but it all depends on where the parent suggests the student will go to.
Parents are a big priority of the students life becuase they are the ones that push their
child to be the best and live a sucessful life in the future. Some parents especially the father have
the regret of sending their son or daughter in a co-ed school. Parents pay tuition and they would
want good grades so why should different sexes bother each other? Boys come and go but grades
do not and that is what parents see as a con of sending their child to co-ed school. There are
mostly elementary schools that have boys and girls together as for research suggested that the
best option was to have the child in co-ed school for their foundation and primary school phases
and seperate them in high school. This may be the case of the parents realizing that there will be
a high percentage in sending their kids in a single-sex school.
The best choice for the student is Single-sex school. High School is a one oppurtunity
every child as so the student should not be under the influence with the opposite sex because of
the attention. Single sex maybe the best choice for their child so they have the oppurtunity to
open up and become independent towards their personality and the people they work with. It
would be easy for the child to have public works for their upcoming majors in their future jobs.

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Work Cited
"CoEdorSingleSex?ItAllDependsontheChild,ExpertsSay."CapeTimes(SouthAfrica)10
Sept.2012.QuestiaSchool.Web.19May2014.

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Schachter,Ronald."TheSingleSexSolution:IsThereaWayThatSeparateCanBeEvenBetter
ThanEqual?AHandfulofSchoolsNationwideAreTryingtoProvethePointThatSingle
GenderEducationCanDoaBetterJobEducatingBothGirlsandBoys."District
AdministrationApr.2003:20+.QuestiaSchool.Web.19May2014.
Duke.http://tip.duke.edu/node/858
"SingleSexorCoEd,It'sYourChoice."TheJournal(Newcastle,England)1Oct.2003.
QuestiaSchool.Web.19May2014.
Aldridge,Jerry,MaxieKohler,andLoisM.Christensen."GenderandEducation."
ChildhoodEducation86.1(2009):59+.QuestiaSchool.Web.19May2014.
."GenderandEducation."ChildhoodEducation86.1(2009):59+.QuestiaSchool.Web.
19May2014.
"CoEdBlues."ManilaBulletin16June2010.QuestiaSchool.Web.20May2014.
Schachter,Ronald."TheSingleSexSolution:IsThereaWayThatSeparateCanBeEven
BetterThanEqual?AHandfulofSchoolsNationwideAreTryingtoProvethePointThat
SingleGenderEducationCanDoaBetterJobEducatingBothGirlsandBoys."District
AdministrationApr.2003:20+.QuestiaSchool.Web.20May2014.
"SingleSexorCoEd,It'sYourChoice."TheJournal(Newcastle,England)1Oct.2003.
QuestiaSchool.Web.20May2014.