Should Single Sex Education Be Offered at University Level - Essay Example

SHOULD SINGLE SEX EDUCATION BE OFFERED AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL? Customer Inserts His/Her Name Customer Inserts Grade Course Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name September 22, 2008 In the twenty first century of today, mere talk about single sex education implies again building a great wall between boys and girls, making them feel different and alien to each other and bringing back the memories of bygone days when a girl was never allowed to mix with boys and claimed any right to equality. Yet if we examine our society and the role women and men in the current scenario are playing and if certain sections of our society still raise the need to increase the educational institutions providing space to only girls or boys, then it is a question that needs to take a serious consideration. The whole foundation of our society revolves around the status and powers both girls and boys hold in the various economic and social segments of our society. The system of single sex education was predominant before the mid of the twentieth century when the people had an ardent faith in the values so important for them in the patriarchy society. In many nations, the system was started to ensure the girls the right to education as it was denied to them on owing to the predominance of boys in the school and the importance they needed to play as a housekeeper. But, slowly the trend changed and more of schools and colleges opened their doors both for girls and boys. Initially it was the most important development as through these schools and colleges, girls began to exert their power and equality. Girton College of Cambridge established in 1869 was the first only women college. The college gave the women chance to attain an education at an equal par with men and they could also choose their carrier options after their degree. It was the only girls college of that time and was located at two miles distance away from the male students who were living in the town center. Slowly there was an increase of only women colleges. (Hero, Online) During 1960, there were more than 300 single sex colleges for women but the number reduced to 60 and out of the 250 colleges during mid 1960s only four belonged to males. The result of this trend saw the white women gained more bachelor’s degrees where as the percentage of similarly educated white men was stable. Now the American girls are showing the remarkable strides in education and there is no evidence if some says that the girls are making gains at the cost of boys. Still as said by the Principal of St Hilda’s College, Oxford, “It took time for the number of women in the university as a whole to reach the present level and not all 'mixed' colleges had equal representation of women.”(Hero, Online) But now the whole perception on the issue of single sex education has changed. Many people still feel that single sex education is best for their children but now their thinking is more based on the current trends and the levels at the way both boys and girls are taking their lives. Several studies of 1990 showed that children studying in single set environment were performing better than students studying in coeducation school and universities. These studies forced the United States to revoke the US law of 1972 that had made coeducation compulsory for students. The government disbursed the funds in the support of educational institutes providing environment for single sex education. Advocators state that single sex colleges foster the inclination towards studies and create an environment of peace and brotherhood. They opine that there are fewer distractions, competitions spree is more and girls feel more secure. Increasing rate of teenage pregnancies, and sexual abuse in the universities raises the conscience of educators necessitating the need for the single sex environment. It is also found that as there are fewer distractions, students feel more inclined towards the academic achievement. Pope Pius XI too wrote in 1929 “Christian Education of Youth” whereby he delivered the topic of coeducation. He said, “False also and harmful to Christian education is the so-called method co-education”. (Miller-Bernal & Poulson, 29) Some also argue that the reception and the process powers of both the males and females are different. Their sense of hearing and visualizing are different and the way they adopt and grasp the lessons differ widely therefore they need separate environment to utilize their potentials to the best of their advantage. For this purpose, the need is felt to have different teaching styles and classrooms structures whereby both girls and boys can feel comfort in learning process. Educational institutes are the temples of learning and they should be made so but with the lot of freedom in the universities, there is always a risk of mischief behaviors and mocking, which are seen more in coeducational institutions. In single sex educational institute, the risk factor is less and girl’s motivational level gets a boost. They can adopt more freely the fields considered traditionally men’s prodigy. The can also take part more actively in leadership positions. Faculty and visiting speakers present the role models as appropriate for them. These advantages so present nonetheless bring only one facet of the psychological phase today’s generation is going through. There are several other aspects to it too in this era of globalization. In every sector of our society-whether it be economy, political institutions, local companies, multinationals, governing bodies, both the men and women are taking the equal strides toward the achievement of their dreams and goals. In the working environment, they have to understand each other, and each other ways of perceiving and looking at things. Segregating boys and girls in the universities create more divisions among them. They will not find comfort and at ease with each other while pursuing their targets creating unnecessary dilemma and hurdles. Promoters of single sex education base their thoughts on the ground that the needs and interests of girls are different than the boys but there is no validity in this aspect because currently girls are also dominating the areas traditionally considered men’s dominion. They are found to be member of police force fighting criminals, flying airplanes, running multinational companies etc., then we cannot generalize how their needs and their dreams are different than boys. Single sex education instead of raising their motivation level undermines their spirit still making them have a feeling of subordinate role they were traditionally adhering too. It is all the matter of their aptitude and interests. In coeducation institutes, both girls and boys feel at ease with each other and with mutual understanding can attain success professionally. There is also no doubt of the fact that risk for girls is more in coeducational universities but the risk for girls is every-where. The protection of girls can be possible only if they are nurtured with the skills of self-protection and positive attitude that can be attained in coeducational institutes. The single sex schooling creates no impact on the institute of marriage or childbearing, or on the quality of partnerships formed. Not it has an affect on the division of labor at home, neither changed the attitude towards the traditional roles women has always occupied since centuries. And, it was also found that the men attending the single sex schools were easily divorced at the age of 42. For both the girls and boys, university is a period to show their image of their personality and coeducation colleges gives them an opportunity to do so. As and as they get more opportunity to interact with boys, the level of confidence increases and the competition with them increases more confidence. On the same hand boys also get to know girls nature, aptitude and sincerity much better. It is also t he matter of carrying yourself and your aptitude towards the world outside that makes all the difference. Therefore single sex education is not necessary be offered at University level. WORKS CITED Datnow, Amanda & Hubbard, Lea. “Gender in Policy and Practice: Perspectives on Single-sex and Coeducational Schooling”. New York: Routledge, 2002. Hero. “Single-sex colleges: a dying breed?” Internet. Available: http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/studying/archives/2007/single_sex_colleges__a_dying_breed__Jun.cfm September 22, 2008. Miller-Bernal, Leslie & Poulson, Susan L. “Going Coed: Women's Experiences in Formerly Men's Colleges and Universities, 1950-2000”. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2004. Poulson, Susan L. & Miller-Bernal, Leslie. “Challenged by Coeducation: Women's Colleges Since the 1960s”. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2006. Sheldon, Peter. “Who is Killing the Single-Sex College?” CSWP GAZETTE: The Newsletter of the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics of the American Physical Society, Vol. 26 (1), 2007. Thomas, Jeffrey. “Are Boys in Crisis? Will Single-Sex Classrooms Help?” American.gov. Internet (2008) Available: http://www.america.gov/st/educ-english/2008/July/200807011556171CJsamohT0.1861383.html, September 22, 2008. WOLF-WENDEL, LISA. “Single-Sex institutions - Historical Contribution, Characteristics of Contemporary Women's Colleges, Contemporary Importance of Women's Colleges”. Education Encyclopedia. Internet. Available: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2420/Single-Sex-institutions.html, September 22, 2008. Read More