Figure 1.-- Most British prep schools were originally established as single gender schools, most commonly boys schools. Today there are still many boys' schools, but coeducation is becoming more popular.
|
Figure 1.-- Most British prep schools were originally established as single gender schools, most commonly boys schools. Today there are still many boys' schools, but coeducation is becoming more popular. |
Most British prep schools were originally established as single gender schools, most commonly boys schools. The earliest prep schools were boys' school which began to appear in the mid-19th century. Boardong education was largelt for boys at first. The public schools in the 19th century were primarily institutions for boys and thus early prep schools were for boys as well. Concern for girls gradually grew in the 20th century, but still the majority of prep schools before World War II were boys' school, especially boarding schools. This has begun to cahnge in the late 20th century as many boy's boarding dschools have shifted to coeducation. Fewer girl's schools for some reason have made this change. There are still quite a number of boys' preparatory schools in Britain, but there number is declining. Some parents see value in single gender schools. Others think coeducation a more suitable approach for the modern world. Here the family make up is a key factor. A family with one child or two of the same gender are more likely to choose single gender schools than a family with mixed gender children. Some of the parents have carefully considered the appraoch best suited for their child, but for most the convenience of deaing with one single school is probably the deciding factor in the gradual shift away from single gender education at the prep school level. The gender make up of the school undoubtedly affects the character of the school. This has been somewhat softened by the appearance of more female teaching staff at boys' schhols in recent years and evolving social attituides, but it is still a factor.
