The children are our future, so it’s important to ensure they receive the best education possible.
Parents today are offered a variety of choices to make a child’s success a reality. Unfortunately, the choice is rarely single-sex education.
Single-sex education has been a touchy issue over the years. Some people felt that single-sex classrooms would not promote equality between genders.
Others felt that by establishing single-sex education, society would be reinforcing archaic gender roles.
The same injudicious notions led to a federal law that banned sex discrimination in education over thirty years ago.
Thankfully, today single-sex education is on the rise.
There are over 400 public single-sex schools across America and the best thing about them is they’re voluntary.
So people who disagree with this method of teaching are eligible to explore different options.
Although, some people feel like a single-sex education isn’t the way to go, it is apparent it’s improving student’s education and creating a structured learning environment.
Leonard Sax, the executive director of the National Association for Single-Sex Education (NASSPE) along with researchers from Stetson University in DeLand, Fla., began a three-year study to compare the academic development of students in single-sex classrooms versus students in traditional coed classrooms.
In this study, researchers tracked the difference in the students’ scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).
Surprisingly, the students receiving education in a single-sex classroom room surpassed students in coed classes tremendously.
The scores of males in single-sex classrooms were double that of males in coed classrooms.
There was also a significant increase among same sex classrooms with females.
Single-sex education has a major impact on all students but primarily the boys.
So why are the boys improving more from these classrooms and not from the traditional classroom?
In an article by Tracey Jan of the Boston Globe, “Keeping the Boys Away From the Girls,” she explores the single-sex classes at Mario Umana Middle School in East Boston. The story makes the answer obvious, THE GIRLS.
All boys love impressing girls, so much so, they have graciously downgraded their education to achieve this.
For most, boys are flattering when they are big, strong jocks, while girls are perceived as being more beautiful when they are intelligent and curious.
As a result of this common way of thinking, boys limit themselves from asking questions and fall behind in their studies.
The equality of the single-sex classrooms limits the amount of competition and focuses more on the education.
In that environment, males aren’t afraid to participate in other areas of study such as theatre and chorus.
They are also more willing to apply themselves and participate in class.
Something as simple as reading aloud becomes less stressful because these students gain confidence knowing that their fellow classmates are equal and facing the same task.
In urban communities, single-sex schools would complement the area by creating an alternative solution for minority males that are pressured to take part in gangs and street life.
Single-sex schools would motivate these young men by setting positive role models. There is an high amount of violence and drugs in hispanic and black neighborhoods.
Males residing in those neighborhoods are often viewed as thugs who don’t appreciate the value of a good education.
A black male has a 29 percent chance of spending time in prison at some point in his life.
The figure for white males is four percent, and for Hispanics it’s 16 percent.
Same-sex schools have the power to possibly increase the number of men who graduate from high school and intensify their desire to pursue a college education.
Depriving children education would mean they are not offered the same opportunities as others.
Single-sex education does the opposite. It enhances a child’s education. Why should anyone have a problem with that?
Kwamae Simpkins is a sophomore Magazine production student from Pensacola, Fla. She can be reached at famuanopinions@gmail.com.