Is single-sex education a good thing? We think so…

Is single-sex education a good idea?

At Fishburne Military School, we strongly believe it is. Day in, day out, for 130 years, we’ve seen thousands of young men thrive in single-sex classes. Interestingly enough, new research shows that our philosophy has a lot to recommend it.

Single-sex education once was commonplace in America. That changed because school administrators came to believe that co-educational systems were more fair and efficient. Those beliefs became even stronger as critics charged that the single-sex approach was sexist, old-fashioned, unfair and harmful to girls and boys.

During the late 1970s, some educators began questioning these assumptions. Researchers here and abroad started comparing single-sex and co-ed classes. The results upset conventional thinking. For example, the 1982 Trickett report showed that compared to peers in co-ed schools, pupils in single-sex environments had more positive attitudes about academics, developed better organizational skills and were more involved in classroom activities. The National Foundation for Educational Research in England reported in 2002 that boys and girls did better in single-sex classrooms. A 2003 University of Virginia study revealed that single-sex education actually broke down sexual stereotypes. It found that young men in single-sex environments were two times more likely than co-ed counterparts to study art, music, drama and foreign languages.

Partners In Learning, a nonprofit working to improve Ohio public education, recently reported that the single-sex approach also allows for instruction that is best suited to each sex.

Significantly, public education is increasingly returning to single-sex classes, although the total number of them remains tiny. It also seems unlikely that a major retreat from co-ed instruction will occur.
As educators, we respect the debate surrounding single-sex and co-ed classrooms. We also welcome research that proves single-sex education is a viable model. This data confirms decades of classroom experience here. We know that single-sex education for young men in grades 7 –12 can produce great results by imparting confidence, knowledge and experiences that ensure success in college and throughout life.