While the benefits of all-girls or all-boys schools are widely-touted — such as reduced gender-stereotyping and environments tailored to developmental differences between the sexes — co-ed environments offer unique advantages of their own.
asserted
environments → tout → own
“For us, it makes sense that the school community should reflect the world children are growing up in,” said Jacqueline Richman, head of school at Bannockburn Independent School in Toronto.
asserted
Richman → make → Toronto
“We do not want to separate children from the diversity of the world they are going to live in.
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they → want → world
We want to teach them how to be part of it.”
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We → want → it
At Bannockburn, which has been co-ed since its founding more than 30 years ago, a co-ed environment ties into their broader Montessori-based approach.
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environment → co → approach
“It’s a natural fit,” she said.
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she → ’ → ?
“Children need opportunities to learn how to work with, communicate with and understand people who are different from them.
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who → need → them
Being co-ed allows those relationships to develop naturally from a very young age.”
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relationships → co → age
The school’s multi-age classrooms, where kids from different grade-levels share a space, further fosters this early foundation in collaboration.
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kids → share → collaboration
One of the biggest benefits Richman has observed in this co-ed environment is the way that it fosters a breadth of friendships for students.
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it → observe → students
“Children are much more likely to develop genuine friendships and learn to collaborate with one another when they have regular opportunities to interact, play and solve problems together.
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they → develop → problems
At Bannockburn, gender is not generally what determines who children spend time with,” she said.
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she → determine → time
“At recess, for example, children tend to choose activities based on what they want to do.
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they → tend → what
Who wants to play soccer?
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Who → want → soccer
Who wants to play basketball or four-square?
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Who → want → basketball
Who wants to play tag or go on the playground?
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Who → want → playground
The group comes together around the activity rather than around gender.”
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group → come → gender
Founded in 1857 as a seminary for future Methodist clergy and teachers, they’ve since shed the religious affiliation but kept the multi-gendered environment.
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they → found → environment
Deputy head of school Rachel Foster often talks to prospective parents weighing a single gender versus co-ed experience for their child.
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Foster → talk → child
Foster points out that the skills universities and employers look for include emotional intelligence, conflict resolution and an ability to work within diverse and inclusive environments.
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universities → point → environments
“Because we have this co-ed environment, it does teach [students] to work with people who are different than you are, and it gives them those skills,” Foster said.
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Foster → have → skills
“And ultimately, there are no career paths out there that are single gender.”
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that → be → ?
In the last five years, students have formed a Women’s Rights group, and boys have also created a group to discuss issues they’re facing as young men.
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they → form → men
“Even in a co-ed environment, there’s still space for them to address things that they feel are concerns just for them,” Foster said.
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Foster → ’ → them
One of the most cited benefits of single-gender schools is that they help create leadership opportunities for girls.
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they → cite → girls
At Albert College, Foster said that both genders seem to have no problem finding space to lead.
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genders → say → space
Case in point: The student leadership team, known as prefects, are elected by the student body.
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team → know → body
“We don’t work within any ratios,” she said.
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she → work → ratios
And that’s just the way the school voted.”
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school → ’ → ?
This year, it’s six girls and four boys.
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it → ’ → ?
“We just look for the leader first,” she said.
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she → look → leader
A lack of “distraction” — code for the heady social dynamics of teenagers maturing alongside one another — is another reason some advocate for the single-gender experience.
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some → mature → experience
Foster doesn’t buy it.
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Foster → buy → it
“Teenagers are inherently distracted by any number of things, not necessarily the other gender.
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Teenagers → distract → things
And also, some people might find their own gender attractive as well,” she said.
uncertain
she → find → ?
As a co-ed school, she added, they’re inclusive of students who may not identify with a binary gender.
uncertain
who → add → gender
“It’s not whether you’re male or female.
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you → ’ → ?
It’s about who you are as a person,” she said.
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she → ’ → person
It ensures that “we really are inclusive of everyone,” Foster said.
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Foster → ensure → everyone
The Aporia
