Same Sex Schools vs Co-Ed Schools

Summary: The government of Trinidad and Tobago has been proposing the idea to introduce more same co-education schools. Co-education means boys and girls attending the same school and sharing the same classrooms. Although, according to the article students who attend same sex schools academically outperform those in co-educational schools, particularly female same sex schools. An argument concludes that co-educational schools help with the hidden curriculum of schools. Theoretical Discussion:

Education is one aspect of socialization: it involves the acquisition of knowledge and the learning of skills, whether, intentionally or unintentionally, education often also helps to shape beliefs and moral values. (Haralambos 2004). The education system consist of a formal and a hidden curriculum, formal, being the standardized curriculum which professionals are hired to relate the curriculum within a classroom setting and the hidden curriculum are the social attitudes and values taught in school that prepare children to accept the requirements of adult life and to fit into the social, political and economic statuses the society provides.

It is generally recognized that girls do better academically at single sex schools, as do boys. The theory is that because girls mature faster than boys and it can be difficult for teachers to accommodate the differences in development rates in a co-education environment. Other contributing factors are simply that there are fewer distractions for both boys and girls in a single sex environment.

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Another benefit of a single sex education is the freedom to make educational choices without worrying that you may be the only girl or boy in the class or the threat of judgment because you want to study traditionally masculine subjects like physics and technical drawing, or traditionally girly subjects like literature and home education. The question is; are these single sex schools creating socially enabled persons? A co-educational environment maybe more reflective of society this is because it encourages competition between boys and girls.

Both sexes naturally will compete against each other in exams and that competitive spirit will encourage everyone to do their best. Also, it replicates basic opposite sex interaction which is unquestionably present and needed in society, therefore, they get a different perspective of things as well as learn to understand one another better. With the interaction in class, even the shyest student will feel comfortable with the opposite sex and can soon work together normally.

Opinion: In my view being in a co-education school does not mean socializing with the opposite sex only. It means that a student can maintain a balance when choosing friends and learn to treat everyone the same. Also, I really think being in a co-educational school promotes better behavior. Boys are naturally rough by nature and girls more gentle. When both sexes interact, the boys tend to tone down their behavior so that the girls will be friends with them.

I feel that some boys in single-sex schools do not know how to behave when they meet girls. Some act like hooligans or shy away when, in fact, if they were in a co-educational school, they would be above all that, given the exceptions. Therefore, I think that students from co-educational schools will be more mature and will be quicker to adept to society fulfilling the hidden curriculums with a slight dwindle on the formal curriculum.

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