Single sex schools: what purpose do they serve?

dienbienphu

Both my sisters and brother went to single sex schools. I think there is a direct correlation between this and how incredibly stupid they are. I come from a town which has three single sex secondary schools and one mixed school. The mixed school has a reputation for being a knacker school, full of scumbags and 'whores'. I think this repuation is undeserved as the CBS had a higher incidence of violent assaults. Anyway, what I want to know is, is there any justification for single sex schools? I think one of the benefits of attending a single sex school is the lack of female distraction which can beneift you in your studies however, this can also be a disadvantage which doesn't need explaining.

AnonoBoy

In my home town the single sex schools produced more people what done well in the Leaving whereas the mixed school produced more folk what went on and done a trade.

Guess which one I gone to.

Boombastic

IIRC from a report I read recently, boys do better in single sex schools, girls do better in mixed schools

Leftist

I went to both single and mixed. Single seemed better for girls but it really messed up lads. It's a dead arm jungle and never stopped the lads getting their hole anyway. Who rides during classes? exactly. Stupid rule made by religious lunatics.

elefant

dienbienphu wrote: »

Both my sisters and brother went to single sex schools. I think there is a direct correlation between this and how incredibly stupid they are.

I think you're wrong.

spank_inferno

in my town the single sex schools have always outperformed the co-eds.

Nippledragon

Blue balls.

smash

What purpose do they serve?

Education!

dienbienphu

smash wrote: »

What purpose do they serve?

Education!

Why the need to segregate?

Boombastic

dienbienphu wrote: »

Why the need to segregate?

In case they get pregnant:pac:

Vito Corleone

Very unnatural and unhealthy environment in my opinion.

SunnyDub1

all girls school - insecurity & bi*tchiness

Just my opinion

smash

dienbienphu wrote: »

Why the need to segregate?

Less distraction.

dienbienphu

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

all girls school - insecurity & bi*tchiness

Just my opinion

college is very much like that

Ghandee

All boys schools produce soggy biscuit world champion's OP, they're renowned for it.

I thought everyone knew that.

SunnyDub1

dienbienphu wrote: »

college is very much like that

I disagree.
I think "most" people when they reach college they have matured and not trying as hard to fit in with the "crowd".
Which means less name calling and judgment of others.

Czarcasm

dienbienphu wrote: »

Both my sisters and brother went to single sex schools. I think there is a direct correlation between this and how incredibly stupid they are. I come from a town which has three single sex secondary schools and one mixed school. The mixed school has a reputation for being a knacker school, full of scumbags and 'whores'. I think this repuation is undeserved as the CBS had a higher incidence of violent assaults. Anyway, what I want to know is, is there any justification for single sex schools? I think one of the benefits of attending a single sex school is the lack of female distraction which can beneift you in your studies however, this can also be a disadvantage which doesn't need explaining.

Actually it does, if you wouldn't mind?

HHobo

What purpose do they serve?

Well, if you know a better way to create a society where loads of people are of the belief that "men and women can't just be friends", have a very poor understanding of the opposite sex and often have hangups about sex in general, I'm willing to listen!!!

...ah but you don't do you!
It may not be the perfect system for creating an othering between girls and boys but its the best we got!!!!

dienbienphu

Czarcasm wrote: »

Actually it does, if you wouldn't mind?

the lack of interaction with members of the opposite sex could be detrimental

smash

dienbienphu wrote: »

the lack of interaction with members of the opposite sex could be detrimental

I'm sure they have friends outside of school ffs.

Valetta

dienbienphu wrote: »

I think one of the benefits of attending a single sex school is the lack of female distraction which can beneift you in your studies however, this can also be a disadvantage which doesn't need explaining.

All my sisters went to single sex schools and the female distractions were only terrible.

Girls everywhere they looked- in class, in the cloakrooms, even in the toilets.

Table Top Joe

I went to an all boys school,sweet Jesus i hated it(not the school so much as there being no girls)yes it would have been distracting but its also why imo the male-female relationship in this country can be so f*cked up


Myself and a lot of my friends just couldnt relate to girls for years,it was really only after awhile in college or work when we were around them later on things became normal i think,for some of my friends who did very male oriented courses they took even longer and some to this day have a weird attitude to women i think(early 30s now)because of those years,they were never able to be friends with females and could only think of them as sexual things,sets people back years i think,i think it plays a big part in why some( i said some!)Irish women can be very...unapproachable shall we say,i think they have big insecurites due to this tbh



This country has a weird attitude to sex and this definitely played a part in that imo

Boombastic

Table Top Joe wrote: »

I went to an all boys school,sweet Jesus i hated it(not the school so much as there being no girls)yes it would have been distracting but its also why imo the male-female relationship in this country can be so f*cked up


Myself and a lot of my friends just couldnt relate to girls for years,it was really only after awhile in college or work when we were around them later on things became normal i think,for some of my friends who did very male oriented courses they took even longer and some to this day have a weird attitude to women i think(early 30s now)because of those years,they were never able to be friends with females and could only think of them as sexual things,sets people back years i think,i think it plays a big part in why some( i said some!)Irish women can be very...unapproachable shall we say,i think they have big insecurites due to this tbh



This country has a weird attitude to sex and this definitely played a part in that imo

Single sex schools are not an exclusively Irish thing, most countries have them

AEDIC

dienbienphu wrote: »

the lack of interaction with members of the opposite sex could be detrimental

Assuming they are all heterosexual...

Gambas

AnonoBoy wrote: »

In my home town the single sex schools produced more people what done well in the Leaving whereas the mixed school produced more folk what went on and done a trade.

'More people what done well'? Even in English?

Aside from that, sounds like a tech/cbs/convent town. Where it has everything to do with the education expectations of the families, and nothing to do with co-education.

Segregated schools are simply odd places. Where else in daily life do you find males and females kept apart for 6 or 7 hours a day?

Czarcasm

dienbienphu wrote: »

the lack of interaction with members of the opposite sex could be detrimental

Detrimental? No I'm not being smart or anything but in the nicest way possible- I think you're perpetuating a myth here.

I attended a CBS and girls from the local convent would attend the CBS for Leaving Certificate level physics and higher level math. They were never given any special treatment in class, and none of the boys letchered over them in a "Jaysus lads look- tits!" kind of way.

Guys from the CBS and girls from the convent used hang out with each other on our lunch breaks and after school. That's not to say there were some of the guys that couldn't just talk normally to a girl, or vice versa, but that was more down to their individual personalities than their lack of interaction with the opposite sex.

The TEC across the road was a mixed school alright, and as you say did have a reputation for students more geared towards manual crafts and skills such as metal and woodwork, as opposed to the CBS and convent which were more geared towards academic achievements. But those students who attended the TEC weren't a bag of raging hormones either.

In short, I think there's a hell of a lot more factors involved than just what type of school one attends in how they interact with members of the opposite sex. Your OP takes no account of an individual's personality, their maturity level, or even their home life, factors which can all affect how one interacts with the opposite sex.

Irishcrx

I went to a single sex school myself and have no regrets, I agree that children from single sex schools generally do better in their studies. Also I loved the banter with the lads in primary and secondary school , mixing girls into that group it just wouldn't have been the same.

I know a lot of people (Obviously) who went to mixed schools at 2'nd level and agree there was a lot of competition , dress sence , getting into girls etc, lads schools I think there is more emphasis on sport and things like that , let lads be lads plenty of time for girls after school and during college.

Don't know what single sex girls schools are like in comparision.

Will be sending my son to single sex school as well...despite his mothers opinion.

AnonoBoy

Gambas wrote: »

'More people what done well'? Even in English?

*sigh*.... that was the joke.

krudler

Socially awkward adults.

dienbienphu

Czarcasm wrote: »

Detrimental? No I'm not being smart or anything but in the nicest way possible- I think you're perpetuating a myth here.

I attended a CBS and girls from the local convent would attend the CBS for Leaving Certificate level physics and higher level math. They were never given any special treatment in class, and none of the boys letchered over them in a "Jaysus lads look- tits!" kind of way.

Guys from the CBS and girls from the convent used hang out with each other on our lunch breaks and after school. That's not to say there were some of the guys that couldn't just talk normally to a girl, or vice versa, but that was more down to their individual personalities than their lack of interaction with the opposite sex.

The TEC across the road was a mixed school alright, and as you say did have a reputation for students more geared towards manual crafts and skills such as metal and woodwork, as opposed to the CBS and convent which were more geared towards academic achievements. But those students who attended the TEC weren't a bag of raging hormones either.

In short, I think there's a hell of a lot more factors involved than just what type of school one attends in how they interact with members of the opposite sex. Your OP takes no account of an individual's personality, their maturity level, or even their home life, factors which can all affect how one interacts with the opposite sex.

well now that you mention it, i knew a lot of guys who went to the same mixed school as me and turned out soically awkward with women too so i suppose it would dispel that myth

summerskin

Went to a private single sex school in the UK( i got a scholarship, i was a council estate boy, not the usual Doctor's son-type), the girls school was right next door so we at least mingled on the bus to and from school, and thankfully I had female friends near my house, but school was awful. We did have some shared classed in the 6th form(16-18 yrs old), but it was too little, too late.

We excelled in terms of education(no real surprise as you had to pass an entrance exam to be accepted) and sporting prowess, of that there is little doubt, but many of the lads there grew up lacking the basic social skills needed around women. Now we are all approaching 40 it is shocking just how many have been divorced, way above the UK national average. It fostered an idea that men were somehow superior, there were only three female teachers in a school of 600 boys and they were almost sneered at as "not being proper teachers" by the male teachers, who were all very much old-fashioned types.

The other side of the coin is that 95% have gone on to have highly successful careers as surgeons, teachers, scientists, businessmen, sportsmen, actors, musicians and tv presenters, which have afforded them opportunities that are possibly not available to all members of society.


As it is, I have, along with my wife who went to a girls only catholic school in London, decided to send my daughter to a mixed school here in Ireland and she is thriving. Her national school friends who went to the convent school are constantly complaining about all the bitching and backstabbing that goes on between the girls there, as where at my daughter's school the boys and girls all seem to get on pretty well.

Roisy7

smash wrote: »

I'm sure they have friends outside of school ffs.

Not neccessarily.

Went to an all girls' primary and secondary and it was kind of hard to know how to interact with boys who weren't family. Friendships were hard enough to maintain at that age without hormones and misunderstandings flying!

EDIT: The bitching in my school was unbelievable. Mean Girls was basically a documentary for us. I think in every sphere a mixture of the sexes is beneficial tbh.

smash

Roisy7 wrote: »

Went to an all girls' primary and secondary and it was kind of hard to know how to interact with boys who weren't family. Friendships were hard enough to maintain at that age without hormones and misunderstandings flying!

I just don't get it, I hung around with lots of girls in my teens. There were more girls than guys in our group, and all but 1 guy went to single sex schools.

VinLieger

Boombastic wrote: »

Single sex schools are not an exclusively Irish thing, most countries have them

But not to the degree that we do afaik. Not sure of the numbers but pretty certain the vast majority of our secondary schools are single sex, pretty sure this comes back to the church being so heavily involved with the education system for so long as well

conorhal

Why?

Well in days of yore it was no doubt an attempt to segregate the sexes, but it does have it's benefits beyond 'a lack of distraction'.

Boys and girls learn differently, just as they mature differently. So just as we stream classes according to ability, single sex schools effectively stream according to gender difference. Of course this can also have it's negatives, but a lack of socialization with the oppisite sex isn't one of them, this isn't the 1950's, boys and girls, men and women are not segregated socially outside school standing on opposite sides of the dance hall.

AH answer: If single sex schools are causing a problem for teenage boys ability to get up on my teenage daughter untill they learn how to talk to girls in college.... well GOOD!

conorhal

VinLieger wrote: »

But not to the degree that we do afaik. Not sure of the numbers but pretty certain the vast majority of our secondary schools are single sex, pretty sure this comes back to the church being so heavily involved with the education system for so long as well

I'm really dubious of that statement, can you back it up?

StormWarrior

I went to an all-girls school until I finished my GCSEs, then after that my parents allowed me my own choice and I moved on to a mixed school. In hindsight, I think there are alot of advantages to a single-sex school. You aren't under any pressure to look attractive, as there's no-one there of the opposite sex you don't need to worry about your appearance. There's no sexual pressure - the girls I know who went to state schools had mostly lost their virginities by the age of 15, while none of the girls from my single-sex school had. There are less distactions, so you concentrate on your work more. At the time, I didn't want to go to a single-sex school and was always on at my parents to let me move, but looking back I'm glad I went there.

HHobo

smash wrote: »

I just don't get it, I hung around with lots of girls in my teens. There were more girls than guys in our group, and all but 1 guy went to single sex schools.

:rolleyes:

Your experience/circumstances might have been different than other peoples.

books4sale

Table Top Joe wrote: »

This country has a weird attitude to sex and this definitely played a part in that imo

You make a good point but you're way off track when it comes to blaming single sex schools.

The church always had a weird attitude to sex, just look at all the dirty kiddy fiddlers! They controlled Irish schools with an iron fist, your parents, grandparents all attended these institutions,

How more f*cked up as a nation can you get?

Honey-ec

Boombastic wrote: »

IIRC from a report I read recently, boys do better in single sex schools, girls do better in mixed schools

Other way around - boys do better in mixed schools, girls in single-sex.

Czarcasm

HHobo wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Your experience/circumstances might have been different than other peoples.

You could say the same about any of the contributors to this thread tbh.

yesno1234

Honey-ec wrote: »

Other way around - boys do better in mixed schools, girls in single-sex.

Yeah correct, op was wrong.

Salty

Vito Corleone wrote: »

Very unnatural and unhealthy environment in my opinion.

I attended a single sex school (all girls). I turned out perfectly fine. I'm in second year of college and my group of friends is pretty evenly split down the middle in terms of sex. I've no problems engaging with the opposite sex after 6 years in an all girls school, it wasn't exactly a huge shock to the system to find that guys actually exist.:pac: The same goes for pretty much everyone I'm still in contact with from school.

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

all girls school - insecurity & bi*tchiness

Just my opinion

Girls can be insecure and bitchy no matter what kind of school they go to. This opinion is way over generalised imo. And tbh, if they're gonna be bitchy, I reckon it could be compounded if they are attending a mixed school, if there happens to be "competition" for the attention of a boy etc.

smash

HHobo wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Your experience/circumstances might have been different than other peoples.

Well clearly. But I still went to a single sex school as did most of my friends and nobody has issues with the opposite sex.

Teyla Emmagan

Girls do much better in single sex schools. Boys do better in mixed schools. It's thought the girls inspire the boys on, whereas the boys just distract the girls. Girls in all girls schools also tend to be much more competitive academically with each other. When boys are involved they focus more on flicking their hair, or something.

In pariticular, girls do much better at math and science and other 'unfeminine' subjects in single sex schools. They are not as keen as portraying themselves as being good at traditionally 'masculine' subjects in front of the boys.

Basically, if you have a girl, send her to the convent and if you have a boy send him to the co-ed. Do not send your daughter to the co-ed in any circumstances however. She will be pregnant by 15 instead of a nuclear scientist by 30. Your son will probably be fine wherever you send him however.

Table Top Joe

books4sale wrote: »

You make a good point but you're way off track when it comes to blaming single sex schools.

The church always had a weird attitude to sex, just look at all the dirty kiddy fiddlers! They controlled Irish schools with an iron fist, your parents, grandparents all attended these institutions,

How more f*cked up as a nation can you get?

I agree! hence....."they played a played a big part",its certainly not the only reason


The Church would have to be the no.1 reason for our unhealthy attitude over here i would say,but separating boys and girls for 5 or 6 years of their teens when theyre at their most vulnerable and are developing into adults is ridiculous and cant help but have knock on effects

Table Top Joe

Boombastic wrote: »

Single sex schools are not an exclusively Irish thing, most countries have them

Im willing to be corrected but i dont think its to the degree we have,from what i can see its nowhere near our levels



Are there really people here who think separating boys and girls doesnt have an effect on later attitudes to the opposite sex?......obviously for some it wont and good for you but Ireland has a very backward way about it when it comes to male-female interaction i think,certainly backward when compared to any other western country ive been in

GLaDOS

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

Girls do much better in single sex schools. Boys do better in mixed schools.

Boombastic wrote: »

IIRC from a report I read recently, boys do better in single sex schools, girls do better in mixed schools

Hmm...

I went to a single sex school (secondary, primary was mixed). I did well academically and made some great friends who I'd still see regularly. Did it affect my relationships with women? Hard to say really, but I'm doing ok now

Boombastic

Table Top Joe wrote: »

Im willing to be corrected but i dont think its to the degree we have,from what i can see its nowhere near our levels



Are there really people here who think separating boys and girls doesnt have an effect on later attitudes to the opposite sex?......obviously for some it wont and good for you but Ireland has a very backward way about it when it comes to male-female interaction i think,certainly backward when compared to any other western country ive been in

Seems to have kicked off as a trend in the 19th century

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-sex_education


I'm not sure the type of school is entirely to blame for lacking social skills, society etc also has an effect

Jogathon

I went to a single sex school until 3rd year, and then moved to a mixed school. I compare how I interact with guys to friends and my older sister who went to an all-girls school for their entire education until LC. The friends who went to all-girls schools cannot just chat to guys, everything is either a joke or a smart comment. It's not a chat, it's a flirty way of communication. They try too hard and try to be perfect in front of them. They see them as friends, and yet wouldn't ring them or meet them for a coffee or a chat. I think that's a normal stage in a friendship, guys like to chat and be social too!

Whereas the girls who went to a mixed school don't put guys on pedestals, we know that they got in trouble sometimes, made mistakes, made fools of themselves just like us. I have guy friends, great guy friends who I call up to in knackery old tracksuits and fluffy socks because there is no need to impress/be perfect. Tonight I'm heading out with one of my best friends, just himself and myself going out, and I met another male friend for coffee on Monday.

I also meet girl friends regularly in case someone thinks that I'm all about the guys. Also, I'm in my thirties, as are my friends, and I still see this social awkwardness at times in them!

Salty

Table Top Joe wrote: »

Are there really people here who think separating boys and girls doesnt have an effect on later attitudes to the opposite sex?......obviously for some it wont and good for you but Ireland has a very backward way about it when it comes to male-female interaction i think,certainly backward when compared to any other western country ive been in

Everyone I know (and that's most of the people I know, btw) who went to a single sex school has had no problems with the opposite sex. And I don't see this "backward" attitude towards interaction between the sexes at all. I don't think this exists among young people anymore. Those of us who have grown up in the Ireland which is not so dominated by the Church don't have this attitude ingrained in us the way some people of older generations have.