The resurgence of single-gender public education

One of the recent K-LOVE Closer Look podcasts was really informative, discussing the growing resurgence of single-gender education - that is, classes and schools for either all boys or all girls. 

Brain development and psychological development studies show that boys and girls develop in different ways and at different rates, and a lack of awareness of gender differences makes our current "mass-production" public education model inefficient, if not poorly effective. 

However, a spate of schools, including a whole county in Georgia, are moving towards ALL single-gender classes. 

Interestingly, not only is there a strong tradition in America for this, but it has some roots in the scriptural mandate to have men teach men, and women teach women.   As it turns out, such arrangements, though abused by cultural gender stereoptypes, and the abuse of patriarchal power, may have root in sound psychology, not just religious ideas.

This surge has been driven significantly by the National Association for Single Sex Public Education (NAASPE), though the president of the organization is NOT supportive of the Georgia initiative because it forces ALL public education in the county to be single-gender.

"This is the worst kind of
publicity for our movement," he said. "It misses the whole point. Our
movement is about choice, about giving parents a choice. One size does
not fit all. Even a small school district needs to provide choice."

Here’s some more interesting references on this movement:

• Single-sex education (wikipedia)
• Why Attend a Single Sex Private School? (about.com)
• Single-sex schools make comeback (Detriot News)
• More schools test single-sex classrooms (MSNBC)
• Single-Sex Versus Coeducation Schooling: A Systematic Review (US DOE)