Eng De: 2nd Jeslyn

Good morning/afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. After listening to our opponents, I have a few things to say.


Firstly, you said that mix sex primary school can help with the students’ social skills with the other gender, and that is something single sex primary school can’t do. It seems to be true, but according to a study sponsored by the US government in 2008, it is found that single sex schools allow for more opportunities to provide social and moral guidance.


Secondly, you also said that there is less extreme behaviour problems in mixed sex primary schools due to the fact that boys and girls may behave better in the presence of the opposite sex. However, the study mentioned above stated that single sex schools can reduce student behaviour problems! One of the main reasons is that there is less distractions in learning.


Thirdly, you said that it will be difficult for the students in single sex schools to adapt to the mixed gender environments later. But first, bear in mind that we are only talking about primary schools. There are plenty opportunities for them to interact with the opposite sex socially, such as in the church, in community centres, in tutoring centres, in their extra curricular activities and many many more. Also, it is said in the study that single sex school provides more leadership opportunities and improve their self-esteem as the students will not be uncomfortable leading classmates of the same sex. Moreover, single sex school promotes a comfortable sense of community among students and staff.

All in all, we can clearly see that single sex primary school can do what mix sex primary schools can do and much more than that. We want to ask our opponents a question: do you agree that single sex schools can provide a focused and better studying environment to the students?










Back up info.
you said that schools should reflect ‘real’ life (presumably out-of-school life), and as society is mixed, schools should also be mixed. But we must argue the opposite. The fact that girls’ schools do not mirror ‘real life’ is a key reason to have them. Generally, societies are male-dominated and women are frequently second place to men in terms of, amongst other things, opportunities, pay and power. So students and teachers need to challenge and change these inequalities rather than reproduce them in schools. Single-sex schools can be spaces where girls can begin to challenge male dominance and power, where girls can learn that they do not have to care how they look, that they don’t have to take second place to boys, that they can work free from harassment and taunts, and that they can do science or maths as well as boys


In 2008, the US government sponsored a study, ‘Early Implementation of Public Single-Sex Schools: Perceptions and Characteristics’, which listed the thirteen benefits of single-sex schools:
Decreases distractions in learning,
reduces student behavior problems
provides more leadership opportunities
promotes a sense of community among students and staff
improves student self-esteem
Addresses unique learning styles and interests of boys or girls
Decreases sex bias in teacher-student interactions
Improves student achievement,
Decreases the academic problems of low achieving students,
Reduces sexual harassment among students,
Provides more positive student role models,
Allows for more opportunities to provide social and moral guidance,
Provides choice in public education.


On the other hand, the Teachers College Record published a study in 2009 that showed that in majority of cases, the effect of the interaction between boys and girls has resulted in less homework done, less enjoyment of school, lower reading and math scores.


Although research on the effects of an online learning program that provides individualized, one-to-one learning solutions to students from kindergarten through high school across the United States named K-12’s single-sex education is inconclusive in general, some common themes emerge in the research literature, including the following.
Studies of attitudinal variables yielded some consistent findings, including differences in specific domains of self-concept between girls in single- and mixed-sex schools, and findings that support the view that single-sex contexts foster less stereotypical views of subjects;
Studies finding positive achievement effects attributable to school type tend to view their findings as specific to certain contexts and group characteristics (including socioeconomic status)


Teachers in the Danish co‐educational elementary school system who are involved in innovative pedagogical projects have used segregation as an organisational method in introducing and developing equal opportunities and anti‐sexist pedagogical initiatives. In setting up ‘Project Girls’ Class—Boys’ Class’, an ongoing developmental project about gender equity, the teachers, a woman and a man, have mixed their two classes and seperated the girls and the boys for longer or shorter periods or for a whole term in certain subjects. The involved girls developed self‐confidence and prefer to be in their girls‐only setting whereas it is the teachers (more than the involved boys themselves) that find that the boys’ class can provide important learning experiences for boys in raising their awareness of values and attitudes—both among the boys themselves and in relation to the girls.


Boys are mainly spatial learners. They are often more kinesthetic learners, which means they are moving around in that space more than the girls are. Girls shine as linguistic learners because they are much more likely to be better listeners to speech. Teacher lectures convey a great deal of information and girls get more out of that approach. Boys deduce conclusions from general statements. Girls tend to gather evidence or facts before they draw a conclusion. Girls more can often give a concrete example of why they have come to the conclusion they did. Boys, similarly, can more easily handle mathematical symbols and general ideas in math than girls can. Watching an argument being developed on a blackboard won't convince a girl as well as more concrete activities such as counting and putting groups of things together will. Any teacher who has assigned a group writing assignment knows that girls talk about the subject more and use many more words than boys in the writing-talking process. Teachers will also noticed that boys may be less focused on the task, talk less to the topic or talk less altogether as a group, actually individually prefering to write alone if given the chance. Cooperative learning experiences that involve more active tasks than just writing, show that girls attending to the task more readily and socializing more productively. Boys want to get to the project and get moving and doing, even if it causes disputes over who is going to be the boss. Girls handle the boring parts of a school day better than boys. They can entertain themselves inwardly while boys tend to act out and distract the class. Sad, but true.






Quotings


Kerry Barlett (a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives between March 1996 and November 2007, representing the Division of Macquarie, New South Wales):
Boys, generally, require a more structured approach, more challenging tasks, more of a short-term orientation. They are better at mathematical and visual activities and physical activities. They are not as good as girls at verbal approaches, linguistic approaches, group activities that involve articulation and relating.


Let’s tour the human brain for a moment. Did you know that your brain has one hundred billion neurons and one hundred trillion connecting cells? That’s impressive. The brain has four lobes at the top where thinking is done, and it's divided into right and left sections. The right side handles spatial skills – measuring things, understanding directions and working with objects. The left manages verbal skills – reading, speaking and writing.


Michael Gurian (a noted educator and author): Boys use the right hemisphere more, and girls the left..


In general, female brains develop faster than male brains. This means that young girls usually have good verbal skills: they talk sooner and read better than boys. On the other hand, boys have good spatial abilities: they do well in subjects such as geometry and map reading.

There are other differences, according to Gurian. Male brains secrete less serotonin, a chemical that relays signals in the mind. Because of this fact, boys tend to be more restless and impulsive than girls. What about hormones? Gurian notes that males are dominated by testosterone and females by estrogen and progesterone. Levels of these important hormones are known to affect a child’s daily mood and thus influence learning abilities. He also says research shows that girls usually hear better, and this may be a good reason for having boys sit near the front of the classroom. He says girls are able to see better in a dark room and boys see better in bright light.


From Mr. Gurian


How Girls and Boys Learn Differently #1. Reasoning
Boys process information from the general to the specific application (deductive) and do well on abstract multiple-choice tests. Girls start with concrete examples and move to general concepts or theories (inductive) and do well in expressing their thoughts in writing.


How Girls and Boys Learn Differently #2. Language
Girls generally talk to themselves or others when learning a subject, while boys frequently remain fairly quiet in studying. When learning new concepts or ideas, girls prefer usable and everyday words for understanding, while boys like to use jargon and coded language.


How Girls and Boys Learn Differently #3. Logic
Girls are usually better listeners than boys in the classroom and are more receptive to details in speech. Boys tend to ask for reasons to support an argument or claim.
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How Girls and Boys Learn Differently #4. Boredom
Boys can become bored easily by a subject and need stimulation to stay interested, while girls tend to remain involved during a lesson.


How Girls and Boys Learn Differently #5. Movement
Girls move around less in learning situations than boys, who find it difficult to sit still very long. Boys like more frequent stretch breaks due to lower serotonin and higher metabolism.


How Girls and Boys Learn Differently #6. Cooperation
Girls find it easier to learn in a group setting than boys, who tend to be more socially aggressive. Girls are sensitive to the emotions of others in solving a problem, while boys focus on finding an answer quickly.


How Girls and Boys Learn Differently #7. Symbolism
Boys and girls like pictures to help them learn, but boys seem to depend on them for greater understanding. In the upper grades, boys tend to learn best when using symbols and girls prefer written texts.