Single-sex Education for Girls Three main arguments aga

Single-sex Education for Girls
   Good morning. Today I’m going to discuss the benefits of single-sex education, especially single-sex education for girls. As arguments against this form of education can be quite powerful, I would like to begin my lecture by pointing out three main arguments against single-sex schools. First of all, critics of all-girl schools argue that the separation of the sexes seems old-fashioned. It goes against the goal of feminists and liberal educators, which is to provide fairness: to make sure boys and girls have the same educational opportunities and are treated in the same way. Secondly, the critics say that in single-sex schools, boys and girls can’t develop the ability to interact with one another. They point out that in single-sex schools, boys and girls can’t learn how to be comfortable with each other and also how to compete with each other. The third criticism is that single-sex schools don’t provide children with a smooth transition into the adult world where men and women live together. In single-sex schools, these critics say, boys and girls can’t become prepared for a world in which they will work, play, and live together as adults. But although these are serious arguments, I believe that single-sex education is beneficial for girls. The first real benefit is that it values girls’ unique qualities— the qualities that make them different from boys. What are these unique qualities? Well, I’m going to list a few. First of all, girls can often concentrate on higher-level abstract thinking at an earlier age than boys can. Secondly, they can often work for longer periods of time. Finally, as girls mature, they are often kind and cooperative rather than competitive. These qualities are valued in all-girl schools. The second benefit is that it helps girls develop self-confidence. I strongly believe that girls become more self-confident without the distraction and the different learning styles of boys. In a single-sex environment, if girls don’t understand a math or science concept, they’ll ask for clarification. But when they are in the same classrooms with boys, they often lose their self-esteem. Boys are sometimes louder and may jump up out of their seats and wave their arms in people’s faces if they know the answer to a teacher’s question. If this happens, girls typically sink back in their chairs and wait for the boys to quiet down. But if there are no boys around, girls can feel free and be themselves. OK. Having said all these, I want to emphasize that single-sex education is beneficial for girls. Admittedly, in the “real” adult world, boys are the ones who set the rules of the game, and these rules don’t necessarily reflect the needs or talents of girls no matter how well they do in school. However, in an all-girl school, girls can become confident enough to challenge these rules. And then, perhaps, they can change the “real” adult world into a place designed to help both women and men. OK. That’s all for today’s lecture. See you next week.