Why Single-Sex Schools Shouldn’t Exist

When America was founded, the schools that provided secondary and higher education were all-boys schools. Some were religious, others secular, but all of them had one main purpose: to take young boys and turn them into well-educated male leaders. This structure made sense at the time. There was no point in fully educating girls, since women would not go into the workforce and were barred from holding positions of power. However, as time went on, gender equality in schools increased. Elementary and middle schools were already available to girls, but secondary and higher education was soon provided in the form of all-girls schools.

This history explains why single-sex education existed in the first place. All-boys schools reflected male supremacy, and all-girls schools were created to educate girls who were barred from these elite, male-only institutions. Co-ed schools couldn’t serve as a proper substitute, because even when girls were allowed to attend, many of their spots were still filled by boys.

However, as time has gone on, the number of all-boys schools has decreased dramatically. All-boys schools have no benefits that co-ed schools lack, instead bringing a host of problems with them. They provide a breeding ground for toxic masculinity. Gender equality is rarely discussed in all-boys schools, and when it is, the language is usually “girls must be protected,” and not “respect girls as fellow human beings.” This culture all comes down to one crucial concept: when people are segregated, they “tend to develop stereotypical views of their own group and the excluded group,” as gender studies professor at the University of California, Los Angeles Juliet Williams puts it.

Many people say that all-boys schools are necessary because boys mature slower than girls. It is also commonly argued that boys and girls have different learning styles, making separate classrooms ideal for them. However, these points don’t take into account the fact that people have individual characteristics, and many of them would not benefit if teaching was defined so rigidly around gender. The solution lies not within segregating the class but with training the teacher. Any teacher needs to be able to engage a class full of different students, regardless of their genders or learning styles. If a teacher can do so, the issue vanishes. Single-sex schools are not necessary to give everyone a proper education.

As the number of all-boys schools has gone down, the number of all-girls schools has also decreased. All-girls schools were initially a response to exclusionary all-boys schools, and now that all-boys schools are becoming obsolete, the need for all-girls schools has vanished. Many claim that all-girls schools are still useful for subject-specific bias. Some research suggests that girls from all-girls schools are more likely to go into STEM fields and have higher aspirations. However, this research is disputed. It is very difficult to tell whether the beneficial results came because of the all-girls schools or because of other factors, since students at all-girls schools are often better off than those at co-ed schools.

At this point in time, girls are being educated at even higher rates than men. They don’t need all-girls schools any more than boys need all-boys schools. The issue is not whether they get an education. It is where they go from there. Very few women end up in leadership positions, and too many men hold on to power. This problem can’t be solved by single-sex schools. In fact, it is exacerbated by their existence. The separation of boys and girls from a young age worsens pre-existing gender stereotypes and makes it harder for them to reach their full potential.

All-boys schools are a relic from a time when boys’ education was prioritized and girls’ education was neglected. Similarly, all-girls schools are a holdover from a time when all-male education needed to be countered. In the current day, single-sex education no longer makes sense. Well-run co-education schools are the best option for everyone involved.