Figure 1.--Most New Zealand secondary schools are now coeducational. There are, however, single gender schools in most cities for parents who think that this is a preferable approach for their child, |
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New Zealand has debated the issue of coeducation to great length. There are still proponents of both approaches, but for the most part coeducation has been adopted a most schools. Educators for the most part have felt that coeducation is a preferable approach for elementary schools, although several private schools elementary (preparatory) schools are single sex schools. The new intermediate schools that appeared beginning in the 1960s??? were all coeducational. While the early secondary schools were all single sex schools, most secondary schools are coeducational. Many of the more traditional secondary schools are single sex schools, all of the newer secondary schools have been established as coeducational schools.
The proponents and detractors of the two approaches continue to debate the educational outcomes. While good cases can be made for each approach, empirical evidence is rarely offered to demonstrate which approach is preferable. In fact, neither approach is probably to all children. Humans are endless varied beings with a widely divergent needs and requirements. Individuals learn best in educational environments best suited to those needs. Single-sex schools are clearly not for everyone, probably not even for the majority. It may be that most children learn best in coed schools. It is also likely that single sex atmospheres are the most conducive for some children. For those for which single-sex schools work, they appear to work supremely well, primarily by separating the tough work of education from the dating preoccupations that notoriously distract adolescents. While sex equality is still politically correct for many educators, increasing amounts of evidence demonstrate that men and women are different in many ways and these differences may affect their innate abilities and how they learn.
New Zealand, unlike the United States, offers a single-sex alternatives to low and medium income families restricted to state schools. State schools in America are almost exclusively coeducational. Single sex schools are only available in the Catholic system and private sector. For the most part, only American parents able to afford private schools can avail themselves of the single-sex option. Young people from lower- and working-class backgrounds often have only the vaguest idea of what professional requires or could mean. Single-sex schools often place greater emphasis on academics than do coeducational schools. The frequently more serious environment at single-sex schools can encourage the children to take themselves, and their potentials, more seriously. Undistracted by the need to worry so much about personal appearance, dating, and trendy clothes, students in single-sex schools tend to do more homework and have higher aspirations. Single-sex schools often help students formulate new goals and provide the opportunities to realize them.
Research on the achievement of students in single-sex schools offers some interesting insights. British examination results show little difference in performance of boys in single-sex and coed schools. The performance of girls, however, is strikingly higher in single sex schools. British teachers speculate that girls in single-sex schools avoid trying to out perform the boys, but in girls' schools they can excel without worrying how it will affect their dating prospects. Girls are also more likely to enroll in and succeed in courses where boys often predominate such as science and maths.
The New Zealand debate over coed/single sex education has become complicated by the competition between schools that the MOE has fostered. The need to attract students and maintain roles have in some cases resulted in a less than academic approach to the discussion. Promotional literature prepared by some coed schools uses terms that suggest that single sex schools are unnatural with all the connotations associated with such a suggestion.
Most New Zealand single-sex schools have developed a variety of cooperative relationships with nearby schools, usually single sex schools for the other gender. Many schools have actually fused academic programs for the older students, usually form 7 (Southland Boys' and Girls' High Schools). Even more commonly dances and a variety of social and recreational activities are planned together. For example Avonside Girls' High School planned its 3rd and 7th form Disco with Shirley Boys' St. Timothy's, and Mairehau High. Avonside Girls' challenge the form 7 boys at Shirley Boys' High School to a netball game. Avonside won convincingly--with, of course, a little help from the referees.
The proponents of coeducation believe that the environment of a coed school offers the best opportunities for the social, emotional, and intellectual development of boys and girls. They point out that life is coeducational and insist that coeducation produces well-adjusted young people.
Proponentsd believe that there are several benefits to coeducation:
Setting: a setting for the development of balanced human relations.
Environment: creating a more "natural" environment.
Atmophere: students learn confidence, cooperation, and constructive competition.
Effectiveness: students learn more effectively and are better challenged to excel in coed groupings.
Respect: encourage mutual respect and understanding.
Opportunity: allows equal educational opportunity and access to participate in extra-curricular activities and leadership experiences.
Interestingly many of the factors which propnentsd of coeducation focus on stress social goals rather than academics leading to questions concerning what the primary goals
of the schools are. Proponents of coeducation stress that separating boys and girls can harm a child's social development. The authors, however, know of no research substantiating this fear.
Coed schools tend to dismiss the idea that students at single sex schools can concentrate more on their studies. They point out that an analysis of New Zealand national bursary and scholarship results in 1993 showed that 2 of the 3 all-round scholars were girls from coed schools and 16 top scholars were females, 12 of whom were from coed schools. These statistics, however, may reflect the greater number of coed schools and students rather than the effectiveness of the academic program.
