"Gender education. Pros and cons'

Alyona Kulagina, school 77

Gender education. Pros and cons. (Разнополое обучение).

Good morning. My name is Alyona. And I today I am ing to present my point of view on the problem of gender education. I think everyone will share the idea that school is a second home and classroom is the room, which gives an additional opportunity for improvement and learning. It is the place where students develop their flexible and broad knowledge regarding necessary topics they are encountering. Thus, the goal of any school is to provide quality education to students as well as to allow them to have an enjoying learning experience during their stay in school. Education is significant for boys and girls but the way of organizing this education is rather arguable. Some experts say that children will benefit more if they are separated on the basis of their gender, while others claim that this separation will not give any reasonable and considerable results. So, the question is whether single gender education can really meet the needs of modern world? Let’s look at some pros and cons of gender education.

Certainly, we cannot deny that there are a lot of advantages in gender education.

To begin with, natural features of genders are different. It is a well-known fact that girls come to school in a more mature state, while boys lag behind in their mature development for about 2 years. That can be a possible reason why boys, being among more experienced girls, begin to assimilate a model of female behavior. As a result, boys become more feminine and girls take a dominant position. Single-sex schools do not permit this process. I am convinced, boys should feel superiority and responsibility from the very beginning. They are future fathers and husbands. They should be strong in decisions and behaviour.

Moreover, single-sex schools contribute greatly into the individual development of a child. What I mean is when single gender classrooms are available, boys and girls tend to stop trying to focus on the goal of “keeping up with the opposite gender” and instead stay focused on their own personal interests.

 What is more, when children reach a certain age, having students of the opposite gender in the same classroom becomes a distraction. Instead of focusing on the material that is being taught, students are focusing on their feelings and physical reactions to the opposite sex. In addition, too close, friendly relations between boys and girls leads to early sexual relations that may result in an unwanted child and marriage that later, as it happens more often, will fall apart. From this point of view, the same-sex schools are safer.

This all may be true, however, we shouldn’t forget that everything has two sides. If one side is always positive, the other side is always negative. As for the disadvantages, I believe, the main drawback of this type of studying is that it doesn’t develop communicative skills between the sexes.  I am sure school must raise flexible, cooperative and thinking individuals who are able to work as a team and meet the needs of contemporary world.  Students in single-sex classrooms will one day live and work side-by-side with members of the opposite sex.  Educating students in single-sex schools limits their opportunity to work cooperatively and co-exist successfully with all the members of the world. 

 Besides, boys and young men won't develop the self-discipline to behave respectfully around girls and young women if they are constantly sheltered from being exposed to them.

What is more, opposite-sex education isn’t in current interest for women. Actually, educational institutes were invented mainly for men, as women were considered only as housekeepers and mothers. Now men and women have equal rights and, thanks to the mixed education, women can equally share every job with men. It’s important to make a unified, not fragmented society.

While many studies do demonstrate academic and social achievement as a result of single-gender education, some speculate that the improvements seen in both boys and girls in single-gender classes are not from gender separation, but from the additional training the teachers receive in preparation for the single-gender programs.

 If you ask me, I believe that co-educational schools are a better choice compared to single-gender schools. Of course, I don't see any harm in single sex schools, but I don't see any real overwhelming benefit either. I don't think we should separate the genders. Again, people in the world are male and female. School is a part of the world. It shouldn't be hiding real-life scenarios. On the opposite, schools should prepare children for these situations by having boys and girls work together in a constructive environment.

I think that boys and girls should grow up, interact, and live through similar situations together, before adulthood. And even though there are differences among the sexes, kids should become accustomed to those differences and learn to accept them.  Girls and boys should be expected to perform up to their potential no matter who is sitting next to them in class. To gain better results we can add some subjects into the curriculum which will be aimed at girls or boys only. What I mean is for some subjects such as designing, cooking or handmaking students can be separated. This will contribute to their integral development and help to raise real men and sophisticated ladies.
To conclude, I want to restate that the idea of a co-educational school sounds like a better learning and socially growing atmosphere that of gender schools.  

Thank you for attention. If you have questions I am glad to answer them.