Single-Gender Public Schools Proliferating?

Experts say separating boys and girls allows schools to play to their differences.


According to a recent study, a single-gender public school could increase your child's learning potential and self-esteem, while decreasing distractions — but that doesn’t impress feminist groups calling it a return to "segregation."

Eight years ago there were only four public schools following the single-gender model. Today there are more than 220. Dr. Leonard Sax, founder of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education, said studies show that when boys and girls are separated, they perform better.

"Girls and boys learn differently," he said. "They learn differently because they hear and see differently. Those differences are present at birth."

While the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Association of University Women have called it a return to the Dark Ages, neither would comment for this story.

Sax said such fears are unfounded.

"Some of the most prominent leading feminists, most notably Hillary Clinton, are strongly in favor of this," he said, "because the reality is that this is a format that benefits girls."

Dan Lips, an education analyst with The Heritage Foundation, said girls simply do better in math and science when boys are absent from the classroom.

"Today, in American education, girls are really thriving. They’re far surpassing boys in academic achievement," he said. "I think that if this becomes a successful model, it should be and will be implemented around the country."