Having single sex schools in the United States and the benefits of it - Essay Example

The stakeholders involved in the production of more single-sex educational environments include parents of these young children who are responsible for promoting learning and advancing motivation for achievement related to knowledge and personal development. Additionally, teachers and the administrative environment in these schools are stakeholders as they are the driving force behind curriculum development and work consistently to create a more unified classroom environment. The students, obviously, represent another group of stakeholders who would be affected, the primary stakeholder faction, as single sex classrooms would seem to limit diversity related to gender socialization.

All of these stakeholders are affected by the decision to segregate genders in the classroom and it would, ultimately, impact the quality of education and learning. Having identified the key stakeholders affected, it is important to recognize the many positive advantages of single sex classrooms. Research on these types of educational environments indicates that single sex schools have constructive benefits, especially for young girls. Girls in single sex classrooms are more prone to speak freely, have a higher tendency to major in science and mathematics, and are more motivated to attend college or graduate school (Sadker & Zittleman, 9).

Thus, there is evidence that socialization is improved and motivation to learn beyond the public school environment is enhanced in this type of environment. Another case study identified that children in single sex classrooms developed a stronger sense of community and exhibited a much stronger respect for the educator (www2.ed.gov, x). This same case study research further reinforced the quality of a single sex educational environment by uncovering that a more optimistic student role modeling occurred when compared to coed schools (www2.ed.gov).

The reasoning behind whey these social factors were improved in single sex schools is unclear, however it may be a byproduct of a closer camaraderie between students or the provision of an educator that is intensely familiar with one specific gender and can therefore provide more than just knowledge, but focus on gender-specific psychological factors as part of their curriculum program. One notable public figure, Hillary Clinton, also supports the existence of single sex environments, being quoted as remarking, “Certainly, there should not be any obstacle to providing single sex choice within the public school system.

We could use more schools such as this” (brighterchoice.org, 1). Clinton is referring to the Young Women’s Leadership Academy in New York City as the reference for her opinion on single sex schools, citing the positive achievements gleaned from a case study single sex school environment. Her rationale for this assessment is unclear, however it reinforces that even top level public figures believe that coed schools should not be the only option available in today’s society since they have been proven to achieve encouraging results in educational provision and life-long learning.

Women’s rights groups, however, are the largest opponent of single sex schools as they believe it suppresses women’s rights. One adversary of single sex education cited the Bush administration’s alleged attempt to remove gender equality from schools as a rationale for opposing gender-segregated classrooms. “