Improving schools for girls
While my grade-school education was co-ed, I had to make a choice when selecting a college: would I attend an all-girls’ school or not? I thought about it, and even toured a few heavily (but not exclusively) female campuses, but finally decided that I was more comfortable in a mixed setting - not for educational purposes, but for social reasons. (This of course worked out well for me, as I met Jamie during my freshman orientation.)
However, I’ve always held the suspicion that my earlier education would have been much more academically productive and fulfilling if I’d attended a single-sex school, and perhaps more socially supportive as well. I know there is sexism and gender bias everywhere, but grade-school girls aren’t usually prepared to recognize it, to fight back against it. I know I wish I had done so.
Now we have some proof: a recent paper concluded that “boys benefit from being in a classroom with girls, but girls do not benefit from being in a classroom with boys.” Read the full article in Slate.
Somewhat related article: For Some Girls, the Problem With Math Is That They’re Good at It (free registration required)