The issue of single-sex schools versus co-ed schools is very much debated and controversial. There are strong supporters for both sides, giving good and valid arguments. It is an issue with a long history, receiving great attention from the media, researchers, teachers and most of all, parents. Although there are many studies that try to answer this question, the problem will probably continue to exist and be debated, the opinions being mixed. After all, choosing a type of education is a matter of personal choice. Nonetheless, there are several clear advantages and disadvantages of both, and there is evidence that there are differences when it comes to teaching styles, progress and achievements.
Single-sex schools
Single-sex schools have a long history, probably being most popular during the 19th and 20th centuries. In these schools, boys and girls are separated, the classes consisting of only one gender. There are schools that have separate buildings for boys and others for girls, or they only admit one gender into their academic program. This is a practice which is thought to help improve the results of the students. According to Mary Elizabeth, writer for EducationBug.org, one of the arguments is the differences between the brains of girls and boys. Others are different stress responses and hearing sensitivity “and that these differences can best be responded to by differentiating their instruction and learning environment” (CoEd or Single Sex Education). These reasons seem to be plausible and they are enough for many people to choose this kind of education for themselves or their children.
There are some advantages of single-sex schools. As mentioned above, the supporters of single-sex education have many arguments and perhaps the greatest one of them is the educational benefit. It is believed that this kind of education improves student achievements and progress.