Separating the Sexes, Just for the Tough Years

the middle school years (grades 7 and 8) are know to be the "though years." these are the years when the uneven pace of girls' and boys' physical, emotionalo, and cognitive development is most noticeable. girls are ahead of boys on all count, and both suffer. educators debate wheter separating boys and girls during these difficult years might improve students' academic performance. separate classes are now prohibited in public schools that receive federal fund, but a change in the federal law that prohibits them is under consideration. although some parents and educators oppose same-sex classes,there is some evidence that separating boys and girls in middle school yields positive results.

opponents of single-sex education claim that test scores of students in all-girl or all-boys classes are no higher than those of students in mied classes. however, the research is inconclusive, despite the fact that some research shows no improvement in test scores, other research shows exactly oppositive result. more important, many psychologists believe that test score are wrong measuring sticks. they believe that self-confidence and self-esteem issues are more important than test score. in same-sex classes, girls report increased confidence and improved attitudes toward math and science, for example. these are results that cannot be calculated by defficult years of middle school are past. new york university professor Carol Gilligan is certain that girls are more likely to be "crative tyhinkers and risk-takers as adulsts if educated apart from boys in middle school", boys, too, gain confidence when they do noy have to compete with girls. boys at this age become angry and fight back in middle school because they feel inferior when compared to girl, who leterally "out-think" them. with no girls in the classroom, they are more at ease with themselves and more receptive to learning.

opponents also maintain that separate classes send the message that males and females cannot work together, they say that when stufdents go into the work force, they will have to work side-by-side with the oppositive sex, and attending all-girl or all-boy schools denies them the opportunity to learn how to do so. however, such an argument completely ignores the fact that children constantly interact with members of the opposite sex otside school. from playing and squabbling with siblings to negotiating allowances, chores, and privileges with their opposite-sex parent.

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