Poll: Should boys and girls be taught in separate classes?

[KB]

Perhaps to have main lessons across age groups is unlikely to happen but certainly at the school my DSs attended there were lots of extra curricular activities that encouraged interaction and relationship building across the ages - choir, CU, engineering challenges, chess club, school productions etc - and these certainly benefitted the boys involved.

[loobylou]

I went to an all girls school. In my area there wasn't much choice. I didn't hate it; my school experience was poor but that wasn't down to it being all girls.... However it never occurred to me to send my children to single sex schools. I have always just assumed for boh of them that mixed is better..... (I have one of each and they are close to each other - in age and friendliness. I don't know if my thought processes would have been different had I only had boys or girls).

[KB]

Interesting to know how different parents rank the criteria. In our town you would have to choose mediocre ( depending on exact location) comprehensive over top ranking GS to go for mixed gender over single sex or go fee paying and travel to next town.

[catmum]

Separate classes in a mixed school would be the best of both I think, particularly sciences and arts.
I have DD at girls grammar and DS at mixed high school

My DD chose all sciences at A level and on a recent physics field trip joined with a mixed school. Of her 6th form 10-20% of the total number of girls study physics, with several aiming at engineering , on the field trip from mixed school there was only 1 girl out of 20-30 physics students. Clearly girls at mixed schools do not appear as encouraged to study sciences ( physics particularly) maybe seen as not 'girly' enough' with boys around
DS on the other hand enjoys music,art and drama but refuses to join any of the clubs available or to choose for gcse as in his mixed school 'it isnt cool'

Socially DD would much prefer to be in a mixed school and really dislikes being in all female environment, DS is much more able to treat opposite sex as friends

[Guest55]

Clearly girls at mixed schools do not appear as encouraged to study sciences ( physics particularly) maybe seen as not 'girly' enough' with boys around

Certainly not true in my experience both as a pupil and a teacher ... it may depend on the school 'culture'.

[quasimodo]

My younger brothers dd has just joined the sixth form in September 2014 of a boys Grammar school and is the only girl doing physics at A level.