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[Adventurer]

Same-sex classes a growing trend in public schools
POSTED: 10:10 p.m. EST, January 25, 2007
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HARTLAND, Wisconsin (AP) -- Lauren Panos was surprised when she walked into her ninth-grade English class in the fall and saw there were no boys.

Her parents had not told her they had enrolled her in a new all-girls class at Arrowhead High School in Hartland, about 25 miles west of Milwaukee. A semester into classes, Panos still isn't sold on the idea.

More public school systems are looking at separating boys and girls, whether for certain classes or by entire schools, after the federal government opened the door last fall. Supporters say splitting students by sex minimizes distractions, helps them learn better and allows boys and girls to explore subjects they may not otherwise take.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/01/25/same.sex.schools.ap/index.html

[stevemcgarrett]

Great trend and about time! Heck, even PlaywithmyWillie Clinton's Dept. of Education floated that idea years ago.

With the disgusting sexualization of American youth culture over the past three decades, reaching down into the elementary grades, maybe now the kids can concentrate on their studies for a change.

[mindmetoo]

The trend these days in education seems to be having to help the boys. It used to be thought that girls would shy away from speaking up in class so as not to draw the attention of the boys. Now the thinking is girls achieve alpha girl status by being academic performers. In boy culture, being smart is a negative. You've got some wet snapping towels waiting for you in the locker room. If you're to believe the stats, with the exception of some hard sciences and engineering, the medical and legal field is dominated by female students.

Anyway, I'm always highly skeptical of "trends" in education. Whole learning, no child left behind, and let's not forget facilitated communication. The field is dominated by woo woo types.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I taught in a coed high school for years, and every once in a while, because of the scheduling of other classes, my psych class would end up with only girls one semester and only boys the other. The first day the kids would complain a bit by the end of the first week, they would pretty much all admit they kind of liked it. I did too. It really does affect the atmosphere. The sexual undercurrent, which normally no one is conscious of very much I think, is not there. It's kind of a relief.

[cosmicgirlie]

I think it's a great idea. It's been proven that boys and girls brains for the most part are wired differently and therefore require different educational training.

I think there should be a balance. I think for the 'softer' classes there should be a nice mix of boys and girls so that proper socialization takes place. Boys and girls should take art, music, gym, drama and social sciences together but for the 'harder' classes there should be a seperation. Math and Language arts should be same sex. Those two classes are the foundation for all learning.

[Adventurer]

There is definitely a lot of psychological pressure on young people when they are just beginning to feel attracted to the opposite sex. Certainly more of a separation would remove so many distractions and also it would probably reduce teenage pregnancies, pressure on girls to put on make up at a very young age, and end more of the fighting between the parents and their kids regarding issues pertaining to the other gender.