Last week, The Daily Aus asked you for your thoughts on single-sex education.
More than 4,500 people responded – 56% of whom did not attend a single-sex high school.
Here’s what you told us.
Results
About 71% of respondents said they would not send their son to a single-sex school.
This is compared to the 53% of respondents who said they would not send their daughter to a single-sex school.
Out of the respondents who said they would send their child to a single-sex school, three out of four of them attended a single-sex school themselves.
Will single-sex education still exist in 20 years?
About half of respondents said they thought single-sex schools would still exist in 20 years.
Of those who said they don’t believe single-sex education will still exist, about 70% did not attend a single-school sex themselves.
General sentiments
Here are some of the comments in favour of single-sex education from the audience:
- “My single sex school was an incredibly empowering environment to have grown up in as a young girl. I would want my daughter to have the same experience.”
- “I went to a public single sex school which I found very open and accepting. I found that the absence of boys allowed me to concentrate better.”
Here are some of the comments against single-sex education from the audience:
- “Single-sex education creates an environment that doesn’t reflect society. Men and women work and live together. Single-sex schools do not prepare students for this.”
- “[Single-sex schools are] an incredibly alienating and dangerous environment for non-gender conforming children.”
Other comments said:
- “Ultimately, it depends very much on the child; some need co-ed while others will flourish more in a single-sex setting.”
- “I think single-sex schools are only appropriate if the child has exposure to friends of both sexes outside of the school environment. Otherwise, it inhibits some of their development.”
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