Single-gender education has been proven to have advantages. Psychologically and academically, boys and girls are said to develop identically up through the age of 9 or 10. After that is when gender roles become more pronounced and behaviors that cause us to believe in academic gender differences appear.
It has been shown that for girls educated in an all-female environment, their achievement levels in math and science are significantly higher as well as their overall self confidence.
Unfortunately, the South Carolina schools seem to have this data mistaken for directions to take things back to the old school and start treating girls like their fragile and over-sensitive and treating boys like the wonderful, loud, easily distracted savages we know and love. Wait... aren't we trying to get away from this type of gender essential-ism?
Needless to say, this system also causes huge problems for those who relate better to the other sex, or for those who might be confused about their true gender identity.
South Carolina is leading the way in experimenting with sexually segregated classrooms for middle and high school students but the classes that are offerred for boys and girls seem to be based on archaic gender "norms" that provide the boys with more team work and hands on learning, while the girls learn to evaluate cosmetic products for science.
Although I've always been unsure on how the affects of sex segregated schools and classrooms might influence how the children educated in them are able to deal with the opposite sex later in life in both professional and social situations, I've always found it somewhat appealing.
It isn't because of my thoughts on gender differences, or lack thereof, but because of the way that interactions between the sexes often distracts students from the primary goal--education. It may not be a panacea but in a single sex school or classroom, I'd think that some students of each sex would spend less time thinking about their appearance and would be less self concious when it comes to class discussions and extra curriculars, leading them to be more assertive in their strenghts and more likely to overcome their weaknesses.
Another non-trivial matter it could help ease is the prevalence of sexual harrassmet girls are often subjected to in schools. It's something that is common, often happens right under the teachers' noses but rarely gets reported and adequately dealt with. If girls are being sexually harrassed in school, they're more likely to suffer personally and academically.
Studies have also shown that girls tend to fare better in girl only environments, although unfortunately the results aren't as positive for boys in single sex schools.
I would still be interested to see how something like this works out in the state but without the difference in curriculum. I'm surprised that they're giving such different standards and lessons for each sex, especially right from the start.
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It has been shown that for girls educated in an all-female environment, their achievement levels in math and science are significantly higher as well as their overall self confidence.
Unfortunately, the South Carolina schools seem to have this data mistaken for directions to take things back to the old school and start treating girls like their fragile and over-sensitive and treating boys like the wonderful, loud, easily distracted savages we know and love. Wait... aren't we trying to get away from this type of gender essential-ism?
Needless to say, this system also causes huge problems for those who relate better to the other sex, or for those who might be confused about their true gender identity.