Math News
Reviving Single-sex Classes in Co-ed Schools
Co-educational schools in England are experimenting with single-sex classes for core subjects. This has been “prompted by fewer girls studying math and science after the age of 16, despite performing as well as or better than boys.”
Schools have found there are fewer distractions in single-sex classes. Importantly, both boys and girls have expressed positive benefits of same-sex classes.
- One boy said, “There’s more participation in the lesson and no one is shy or afraid to express an opinion – you know the other boys won’t laugh at you and you don’t lose face.”
- From a female student: “Girls are more hard-working and work better without the boys around. Girls want to do their best and this is an environment where they’re not afraid to show what their best is.”