Scottish Preparatory Schools: Gender
Figure 1.--Quite a number of single gender schools in Scotalnd have shifted to coeducation. The girls and boys wear very similsr unifiorms with some seasonal differences. Here the boys and girkls wear the same green sweaters and grey shirts. Note the pencil in the hair of the girl in the background.
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Scottish private boiarding schools before World War II like schools in England were mostly single gender schools. They have gone through the same process as in England. Many schools during the 1970s experienced decling enrollments. To msintain rolls, many decided to go coied. This immediatelly doubled the potential candidates. In additiion it was something many parents wanted. Attitudes toward education were changing with coeducation increasing in popularity. Most of the schools that changed were former boys' schools. The principal factor was probanly sdimple logistics. Parents with boys and girls were confronted with maintaining multiple schedules. Having the children at the same school significantly simplified logistics. Thus rather than any assessment of the benefits of coeducation, these praxtical considerations were the primary deterrminsts of the move toward education. This shift resultec in vary substabtial adjustments in the schools involved. And as aesult, the atmopshere at the schools involved were substabtially changed. This was a factor, but not the only onbe, in making these schools more humane places with a homey atmosphere. Most of the schools had very similar uniforms for the boys and hirls, although there were seasonal differences.
