Gender Matters?

“Gender Matters” by Amy Standen
While looking for an interesting article to read for this blog, “Gender Matters” automatically caught my eye. This article was very informative because it gave opposing arguments as to why there should be gender-segregated schools and why there should be co-ed classes. Some researchers, such as Whitney Ransome, felt that "…Girls' schools expect the best from their students, expect them to achieve, and expect them to be participants in the nontraditional subjects." In regard to male students, other research, like the books Hear Our Cry: Boys in Crisis and The War Against Boys, “argue that coed schools actually discourage boys from self-confidence and success.”
I feel as though I am in a conflicted stance in regards to this issue. On the one hand, I am a female and a minority so I am against segregation because everyone is equal and no gender or ethnicity needs help because they are all equal, but the obvious problem is that not everyone is treated equally. The issue of conflict for me is that these gender-segregated schools have produced environments that eliminate distractions and in result have these immaculate students. In our Foundations class, I remember hearing from a female and male student that attended gender-segregated high schools and they only had positive things to say. They had the same responses: there were no distractions inferring that the opposite sex poses a distraction. When most of us think back to high school, it was a time in our lives when we were able to slack off and concentrate on the social aspect so naturally the interest of dating was a part of the high school years. Of course segregation is wrong, but if this type of separation is helping both genders academically, I am all for it. The 49ers academy that primarily caters to low-income students is brilliant. My friend that tutors at various Newport News schools informed me that last year only 17 black males graduated from 3 different high schools in Newport News. 17 total!!! I did not look up the empirical evidence, but to even know that it may be true is painful in itself. It is unfortunate that most low-income families tend to be minorities, but it is comforting to know that the 49er Academy has eliminated some distractions and has helped. Basically as educators, we need to do what works and this type of segregation seems to be working.