Why is it always expressed as an exclusive choice ? A simple black or white choice – one or the other.
Life of course is not that simple and neither are the possibilities for schools. We have all heard evidence that both boys and girls learn better in lessons that are single sex. The boys do not get distracted by the girls and visa versa; even something as simple as controlling the room temperature – warmer for girls and cooler for boys will make a difference.
For some reason this is always presented as an argument for single sex schools – usually by someone with a financial interest in single sex schools.
Those who argue against single sex schools also have a point that classes are not the only thing that is learnt at school – we also learn to interact with each other which also applies to the opposite sex.
To me, a compromise seems simple – a mixed school with single-sex lessons for “real” subjects and only bring the two sexes together for less result orientated lessons.