INFORMEDdebate
YES
om members:
Lisa Millar
West Orange, NJ
It would be better
because in certain
classes students would
express themselves
more freely.
Shawn Swearngin
Spring Hills, KS
We should try it
because the current
classroom environment produces
marginal results.
Roberta Court-Severin
Aurora, IL
I feel there would be
fewer distractions and
that children could focus
more on learning.
fr
Should girls and boys
be taught in separate
classrooms?
fr
CHRIS A RUSNAK
According to a recent Newsweek article, more than 184 public
schools now offer some form of single-sex education, where girls and
boys are taught in separate classrooms. Supporters of this approach
believe that girls and boys learn differently and that teaching them in
separate classrooms, using different teaching methods, will reduce the
high-school dropout rate among males, eliminate gender-based stereo-
types in education and help girls and boys improve their academic
performance. But critics argue that the studies supporting single-sex
education are based largely on false science and that segregating class-
rooms by sex throws out the most basic legal standards prohibiting
sex discrimination in education. What do you think?
Find out more about this topic on the Web:
www.aauw.org/issue_advocacy/actionpages/singlesex.cfm
www.infography.com/content/563442286832.html
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9285515/site/newsweek/
NO
om members:
Jo Ann Springer-Smith
Tucson, AZ
Boys and girls need to
be exposed to all sorts
of diversity from an
early age.
Christopher J. Conyers
Cumming, GA
It is hard enough teach-
ing our children the
necessary social skills
to function in society
without segregating
classrooms by gender.
Arcie Patenio
Olathe, KS
I feel if we were to
separate boys and girls
in classrooms, there
would be unwanted
consequences later on.
