Advantages and Disadvantages of Single Gender Schools

Why would anyone want to go to an all-girls school? This is a question I have often pondered. Can you imagine a school without the obnoxious comments from boys, football games, and gossiping about boys? This doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it? You girls may think about this and decide there are no advantages to an all-girls school, but in reality, all-girls schools have many advantages. Believe it or not, having boys around is not the most important factor in our education.

In fact, boys in the classroom are actually a setback. All-girls schools are more advantageous than coeducational schools because there are fewer distractions, you will have higher self-esteem socially and academically, and you will be more academically successful.

Let's face it; we're obsessed with boys. We act and dress with only a boy's opinion in mind. Boys not only preoccupy our minds in a social setting but in the classroom as well. We know that we know the answers to the questions in school, but we often avoid raising our hands in class. Why? We fear that the answer might be wrong, and the boys will laugh at us. Even worse, we might be right, and then they will think we are nerds! We also must confess that we tend to space out during lessons and daydream about the star quarterback two seats over. These distractions could be eliminated if boys are removed from the setting. Without them, we could focus on education, rather than what they think of us.

Self-esteem is another issue that will improve with the absence of the male species in the classroom.

In high school, there is an extreme amount of pressure to fit in. Some may not fit in, and some prey on others to fit in or increase their own self-esteem. Usually, it's the boys who will tease us, whether it's because they like us or they want to provoke laughter from their friends. This teasing can crush our confidence and make us overly self-conscious. Without boys, we can confidently walk down the hallway without dodging annoying boys who relentlessly tease us. Some may ask, "What about other girls?". Girls can definitely be cruel and catty, but usually this hostility towards another girl originates from a boy, whether she stole your boyfriend or he likes her better. How many times have you found yourself gossiping with your friends about how you are much prettier than the girl your crush likes? Girls would get along better if there were no boys around to fight over. Boys will not obstruct friendships, which are far more important than relationships, making the high school experience much better for a girl.

A single-sex atmosphere will also increase our self-esteem academically. Studies prove that women do better in single-sex schools and have higher self-esteem (Cooner, Knight, and Wiseman 90). In coed classrooms, boys receive more attention, whether it's criticism or praise, than we do (Cooner, Knight, and Wiseman 91). How often does a teacher stop a class to yell at a typically obnoxious boy? We, therefore, feel ignored by our teachers. This has a dramatic effect on our confidence in the classroom. In an all-girls school, we can receive our teachers' attention more frequently, and ask questions without feeling embarrassed. More attention means more praise, which we clearly deserve. The increase in attention from our teachers will help increase our academic self-esteem.

The most important advantage of an all-girls school, however, is academic success. Did you know that coed schools are structured around the development of male students? Writing, reading, and math concepts, such as long division, are introduced to us when a boy's mind is ready to process and understand the information (Cooner, Knight, and Wiseman, 90). The fact that we were developmentally ready to understand this information a few years ago is ignored. I find that completely unfair and I'm sure that you can agree. Girls develop math and verbal skills faster than boys do, so we rarely experience challenges in the classroom. No wonder we're so bored! Our boredom can negatively affect our achievement. I reiterate the fact that teachers often ignore female students, even high-achieving females. This discourages us from exerting ourselves in our schoolwork. Why bother pulling an all-nighter preparing for a presentation when a boy is going to receive more attention for his presentation anyway? An all-girls school is structured around our development, which poses an academic challenge to us. We will then strive to succeed and, in turn, receive praise from our teachers. Our increased interest in our schoolwork improves our attitudes as well as our grades, which will help us in the future. Better grades will increase our opportunities to attend good colleges and secure good jobs.

Our increase in confidence will prepare us for these jobs that we will be able to get with good education.

You still may not be convinced that an all-girls school is better than a coeducational school because you're wondering how it's possible to meet boys if they are not in school. Don't worry girls! There are tons of places to meet boys. Boys are everywhere (except in all-girls schools of course) including the mall and your neighborhood. Let's consider another fact. If an all-girls school exists in your town or nearby, chances are an all-boys school isn't far off. If not, where would all the boys go? Trust me, the boys are looking for us girls as much as we are looking for them. Clearly, this issue is not an obstacle in your social life.

Life without boys? It sounds worse than it really is. You can now see that having boys in the classroom is a setback for us girls. Without them around, we can focus on our invaluable education. All attention will be focused on our work and our needs, which is extremely beneficial to receiving effective schooling. Additionally, we can focus on forming friendships with other girls in school without worrying about them stealing our boyfriends. Catty gossip can be eliminated from everyday school life, allowing us to fully concentrate on our studies. Our education should be our top priority in life, and an all-girls school, in turn, makes us their top priority, thereby improving the quality of our education.

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