Gender Stereotypes In The Classroom

Imagine being in a classroom with only the same sex, although there's no distractions from the other gender are you really getting the best education. Are you learning proper social skills? In the article “Why Single-Sex Schools Aren't Best” by Juliet A. Williams, Williams explains that single sex schools started shortly after slavery was abolished. The goal of these schools and classrooms was to keep males and females of different races apart. This separation was meant to strengthen a student's education but what it actually did was hindered learning all together. Single sex schools are harmful to students and their learning because they are based on overbroad stereotypes and gender discrimination.
Overbroad gender stereotypes are used
Catherine Solyom author of the article “Impact of Single-Sex Schools Studied” points out, “Consider a tomboy. In a mixed sex school she can hang out with the boys, but she doesn't have that option at an all-girls school” (Solyom). Not all people fit into nice little boxes so it's unfair to assume that the same sex will. As shown with tom boys, girls may want to go play football with the boys instead of making arts and crafts. Same sex schools hinder the ability for students to make friends and build on their social skills. “As a result, boys are being deprived of the opportunity to develop crucial social skills, such as working collaboratively and thinking creatively, while girls are being denied the opportunity to build test taking skills and learn how to succeed under pressure” claims Juliet A. Williams. In same sex schools it is assumed that boys are better test takers and girls are more like social butterflies therefore that's the way the classrooms are set up. When both sexes have different classrooms the boys never learn to work together and the girls never learn how to work at an efficient pace. Boys and girls need balance in their learning to make sure that they are well rounded for future jobs. In the article “Old Tactics Gets New Use: Schools Separate Girls and Boys” by Motoko Rich, Rich states, “Instead of addressing the sexism, you just remove one sex” (Rich).
Another opinion of author Juliet A. Williams points out, “Single sex education raises test scores and boosts student confidence” (Williams). This statement focuses on a few instances, pulling out the good from the bad. Some test scores may be raised but there are other possible factors that could cause high test scores. For example something that could affect the students test scores would be if the student was getting extra help outside of class or the teacher and student had a strong relationship. If the relationship is strong then when the student is confused they are likely to go to the teacher individually to get extra help. This extra help could then raise your test scores. Another fact that disproves this argument is Motoko Rich also adds, “single sex education does not show significant academic benefits” (Rich). Therefore as stated by Motoko Rich, people who say single sex schools benefit students learning are uninformed and incorrect. The evidence to back up the fact that students in single sex schools produce better test scores has too many unknown variables therefore this cannot be proven. There are too many unknowns to say for a fact that single sex schools lead to higher test scores and more