St Anthonys School Ballinlough vs Scoil Phadraig Naofa Rochestown

Cooch

Hi, I am looking for advice regarding the above schools.

I have been offered a place for my son in both of the above schools for this August, and am still undecided as to what to do. I feel I should be making a decision this week, but my knowledge of the schools is limited as this is my first child to go to primary school. Is is better to send a boy to an all boys school or is it better to send them to mixed? I know that the school in Rochestown does not have the same history of st anthonys as it is only open a few years.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

brónaim cád??

I'm a primary teacher. Send him to the co- ed school. Children learn so much much better in a mixed gender environment. It's so so unnatural to separate children; when in their working lives will they be separated on the basis of gender?

overmantle

Hi. I am an experienced teacher and parent. I have to disagree with the previous poster, as the school, the teachers and the atmosphere are far more important than whether the school is single-sex or mixed.

It is possible to have a single-sex school that is excellent in every way, while a mixed school may not be anything near excellent. The reverse is also possible. It is a huge mistake to make, to generalise on the basis of gender only. My children are all attending single-sex schools and they have no difficulties socialising with the opposite sex. I have taught in both mixed and single-sex schools but chose to send our children to the schools they attend, not because of the gender but because of the schools themselves.