The fight for single sex education

The debate revolving around single sex education has been pushed back into the spotlight, due to the recent publication of a report stating that single sex education is ineffective, old-fashioned and, ultimately, increases gender stereotyping.

"The Pseudoscience of Single Sex Schooling" was printed in Science Magazine near the end of September. Authored by the eight founders of the nonprofit organization American Council for CoEducational Schooling, the report, which clearly states it is "based on no new research," claims, "sex-segregated education is deeply misguided and often justified by weak, cherry-picked or misconstrued scientific claims rather than by valid scientific evidence."

Yet, not all agree with this particular perspective; alumni of single-sex schools often defend their educational institute's legitimacy, even when up against "scientific evidence" declaring otherwise.

"I find it strange that so many people object to single sex education. The girls school I attended proved to provide a positive learning environment that equipped me with the intellectual tools and confidence that have assisted me in achieving academic success so far," said Jackie Fuhrman, a former graduate of Rosary High School.

Not only do alumni feel that their single-sex education has provided them with abundant scholastic preparation for college, they also feel that their schools have helped shape their character.

According to the National Association for Single-Sex Public Education, "single-sex education has been shown to broaden students' horizons, to allow them to feel free to explore their own strengths and interests, not constrained by gender stereotypes."

"It instilled in me a sense of community and a fierce commitment to excellence. We are a family, all connected by the bonds of brotherhood," said David James Carlisle, an alumnae of Servite, an all-boys high school located in Orange County.

"The Pseudoscience of Single Sex Schooling" begs to differ. The article highlights the negative effects that single-sex schooling has on its students, asserting that schools with only male students create a negative environment that promotes aggression due to the overabundance of testosterone.

It also mentions the negative impact an all girls school has on its students, explaining that the more time females spend with each other, the more sex-typed they become.

What irks me about that statement is that because boys and girls ultimately are completely different, sex-typing--which refers to how people are treated differently based on their biological sex--is inevitable.

Taking my own experience into consideration, I feel that my single sex high school allowed me to break through the traditional gender stereotypes many young women face daily.

It's not uncommon for young girls to be self-conscious when participating in a mixed gender classroom setting. Time and time again, I've heard of girls being too embarrassed to raise their hand in class to ask a question, or too self-conscious to stand up in front of the classroom and give a presentation. At an all-girls school, one doesn't often run into this problem; the students are there solely to educate themselves.

In my own high school experience, because we went to school for the sole purpose of learning, we were never worried about being judged based on what we looked like because: A) none of us wore makeup or styled our hair for school, and B) we all wore the same uniform. We weren't trying to impress anyone with appearances, because that wasn't the focus of our school day.

My high school's single-sex setting not only empowered me to become the confident and intelligent young lady I am today, but it also exemplified the genuine sisterhood many women so wish to experience.

Single sex education may have its faults, but I know that my fellow peers that have attended a single sex school will agree that the experience was life altering.