But coed schools promote inclusivity and equality

Many families consider single-gender schools as their best option for their children’s academics. However, choosing single-gender schools over coeducational schools can leave students struggling after finishing their education. In today’s progressive society, where diversity and equality are of utmost importance, coed schools are more beneficial in preparing their students because they expose students to the opposite sex, allow students to experience different genders’ perspectives and promote gender inclusivity.

For one, single-gender schools perpetuate the harmful myth that girls and boys inherently have different “learning styles.” Boys aren’t biologically programmed to be better with cars and numbers, and girls aren’t inherently better at reading and writing. Caryl Rivers, a Boston University professor, disputes and discredits many studies claiming boys and girls learn differently, noting that many researchers only seek to prove what they already assume.

Although some may argue that gender-specific curricula can aid in developing girls’ and boys’ strengths separately, Dr. Diane F. Halpern, a psychology professor at Claremont McKenna College, believes that segregating classrooms by gender can lead students to experience difficulties after finishing school. 

To prevent this, coed schools ultimately prepare students for the real world. For example, in the workforce, employees of different genders work alongside each other, and having students learn in a diverse environment in advance will provide a smoother transition from the school setting to the workforce. 

Coed schools also encourage interactions with the opposite sex. These interactions expose students to different perspectives every day. Without this, children, such as those who attend single-gender schools, can find themselves stuck in a bubble, surrounded by people with similar experiences who don’t understand the complexities of the real world. 

Because children often restrict their contact to students most similar to themselves, such as same-gender peers, they often don’t experience the benefits of interacting with students of different backgrounds. Arizona State University conducted a study in 2022 that paired preschool students with opposite-gender classmates in a sort of “buddy system.” The study was based on intergroup contact theory, which hypothesizes that when people connect with members of different groups, they’ll form stronger relations with that group in general. This study proved just that, as not only did the students form stronger relationships with their buddies, but they also grew more comfortable interacting with all students of the opposite gender.

Single-gendered schools also suffer from exclusionary policies against non-gender-conforming students or even transgender students at times. In May 2022, a discrimination case was filed against Carinity Education Southside in Brisbane. A 12-year-old trans girl’s enrollment application was denied, while her cisgender sister’s application was accepted. The school specifically stated that she was denied because of her assigned sex. 

Due to the segregating nature of single-gendered schools, it’s extremely difficult to provide an inclusive environment for students who do not fit into their restrictive gender classifications. Putting students who do not identify as male or female into a school specifically made for a specific gender is invalidating. In the end, the benefits of coed schooling are much more impactful to the development of young students. They facilitate better social maturity within student populations, creating a more successful and empathetic society as a whole.