What's the point of an all-boys and all-girls school?

[WingsOfEagles]

I think a key point in favor of non-coed schools is that the faculty tends to be overwhelmingly the same sex as the students. For boys, having men teaching them is a very good thing. The same applies to girls.

True to an extent, but I’d say the opposite can be argued, especially for children of divorced/split homes.

 

[I_A]

No one is throwing anyone into a co-ed environment. It’s a choice… They are being trained to focus. …It is a good idea.

Ed

Respectfully, that was not my experience.

The vast majority of American families don’t have a choice. The only school practically available to my parents was co ed public school.

At about age 15 the focus of all the young men’s attention shifted dramatically to the fairer sex. School became not about education, but how to impress young women.

The young quick witted men became class clowns, interrupting any education to get the girls to giggle. The athletic men completely neglected education to focus on sports. Everyone knew to be pegged with the title nerd meant being cast out into the dating wilderness, as such I knew 3 straight A students who lied about their grades, claiming Bs and Cs, embarrassed. And the disrespect of teachers was appalling, as each boy was trying to outdo each other without crossing into illegality so the girls would think him a “bad ***.”

It did not encourage self control. It encouraged disrespect, neglecting education and hiding natural talents, because that’s what adolescent boys thought adolescent girls liked.

And this was a well regarded suburban public school, in the top 10% of rankings.

As for the effects on young women I can only hypothesize. I was too narcissistic at the time to make definitive statements now.

To be fair if I had gone to a boys school I would probably be critical of that as well, as it is a difficult time in people’s lives in general.

I just want to oppose the idea that co ed education builds self control because it conflicted with what I observed.

 

[Ormond]

What’s the point of an all-boys and all-girls school

To suck every last inch of joy out of the experience of education?

Dunno, just guessing…

 

[LittleWay92]

Respectfully, that was not my experience.

The vast majority of American families don’t have a choice. The only school practically available to my parents was co ed public school.

At about age 15 the focus of all the young men’s attention shifted dramatically to the fairer sex. School became not about education, but how to impress young women.

The young quick witted men became class clowns, interrupting any education to get the girls to giggle. The athletic men completely neglected education to focus on sports. Everyone knew to be pegged with the title nerd meant being cast out into the dating wilderness, as such I knew 3 straight A students who lied about their grades, claiming Bs and Cs, embarrassed. And the disrespect of teachers was appalling, as each boy was trying to outdo each other without crossing into illegality so the girls would think him a “bad ***.”

It did not encourage self control. It encouraged disrespect, neglecting education and hiding natural talents, because that’s what adolescent boys thought adolescent girls liked.

And this was a well regarded suburban public school, in the top 10% of rankings.

As for the effects on young women I can only hypothesize. I was too narcissistic at the time to make definitive statements now.

To be fair if I had gone to a boys school I would probably be critical of that as well, as it is a difficult time in people’s lives in general.

I just want to oppose the idea that co ed education builds self control because it conflicted with what I observed.

I believe that the post you quoted was actually supporting same-sex schooling. The poster was responding to my post, which was the one defending co-ed schooling.

It is so interesting how experiences can differ. I have no problem with same-sex or co-ed schooling. Based on my experience, co-ed school helped me learn to focus and practice self control, as well as how to collaborate with peers of the opposite sex. However, I understand that this is not necessarily true for every individual. Perhaps some are more suited to a same-sex environment.

 

[GEddie]

To suck every last inch of joy out of the experience of education?

Dunno, just guessing…

Because that was the norm when the system of mass education began, when males and females were taught differently.

Being too costly in an environment of universal schooling, it has for the most part been dropped.

Keeping the youth from having fun with sexuality was never a term in the equation. Sexuality is the one thing in our life that does not require to be taught.

ICXC NIKA