News

SINGLE-SEX OR CO-ED?

Thursday 27 July 2006

Professor Alan Smithers and Dr Pamela Robinson

CEER's latest report, The Paradox of Single-Sex and Co-Educational Schooling, is published today, 27 July 2006, by the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC).

Professor Alan Smithers and Dr Pamela Robinson, reviewing the evidence worldwide, show that, contrary to the vociferous views sometimes expressed, there is little to suggest that girls and boys choose different subjects or do better in them in either single-sex or mixed schools.

There are excellent single-sex and co-educational schools, but they are not excellent because they are for girls-only or boys-only or both. The prime factors are the pupils' ability and background, and teacher quality. Sex separation is not a recipe for improving school standards.

Important claims are sometimes made for separating or mixing the sexes, particularly for girls-only schools. Smithers and Robinson have examined these in detail and found that not infrequently the evidence is inadequately or selectively presented.

They could find nothing to support the suggestion that "co-education is a biologically disrespectful model of education".

The paradox of the single-sex / co-education debate is that the beliefs are so strong, but the evidence is so weak. The report finds no over-riding academic or personal development reasons for choosing one over the other.

The full report can be read in PDF format at: hmcsscd.pdf (567 KB).

Report by the Web Team