11 Plus Exams Forum

Two of my dd's attend single sex schools (year 8 and 9) and are currently in France on a school exchange and both have skyped me complaining about the (and I quote) "unbelievable bad and immature behaviour of the boys". The girls are in different French schools and say that they are thankful that they attend girls only schools as there is far less disruption in class and around the school generally. I have absolutely nothing against boys but is this a problem in our English schools?

No - certainly not in any of the schools I have taught in.

Ditto Guest 55's comment.

I agree with Guest55 and Stocky!

All three of my sons go to all boys schools. They have a great time. They seem to be a lively bunch and humour is important to them. A lot of the teachers at their schools are full of character and seem to inject a lot of humour into the lessons and are known by my sons and their friends as 'legends'. I do wonder if your girls are used to being at an all girls' school, it may be a very different experience for them mixing with boys in this environment.

Boys are no more difficult than girls in my view. Discipline is taken very seriously at my sons schools and we couldn't ask for more. I think it cuts both ways. Although my sons have lots of friends who are girls, I think they would all agree that they are glad they didn't have to 'put up with girls' for the first five years at senior school. Having said this, I am sure they are very pleased that they have an influx of girls in sixth form.

My dd2 is in Y9 at a mixed comp and thinks most of the boys in her year are idiots (Collectively. Individually, some of them are quite nice ) But she was always adamant that she didn't want to go to a single sex school, so I have no sympathy!

Guest55 wrote:No - certainly not in any of the schools I have taught in.

+1
Girls can be just as badly behaved, but it tends to be more subtle and 'under the radar'. And it is definitely my view that the bullying which goes on among girls is, as a general rule (with, of course, exceptions) far more invidious and vicious than that which goes on among boys, and also far harder to deal with. I have found this since my earliest days as a reception class teacher right up until now with teenagers - try to find out which boy has done something and the perpetrator will usually turn purple, look at his shoes, stammer something along the lines of "it weren't me miss" and you have your man. With girls..'yeah, well, she did this and then I said that and it isn't fair cos this...' and you end up with a hunch and no more - and they are usually very good at making themselves look whiter than white even when all the evidence is to the contrary.

As a parent of boys (and girl) I do sometimes get a little bit tired of the bad press given to boys (not levelling this at you Ellie, just in general) : OK so they can be loud and wild (so can girls) and often sitting still all day doesn't suit them so they get silly...but they can also be loving, charming and jolly good company, as well as very handy once they get a bit of muscle - getting the shopping out of the boot, lugging furniture around, and being lovely brothers to their sisters.

Amber I agree with you. I suspect my dd's are missing home and are looking for issues to complain about. Although there is one issue that they have both raised and that is the French schools they are at, openly permit pupils to smoke at school and teachers are often seen puffing away outside with pupils.

Ditto everything aliportico says

DS on the other hand goes to an all-boys school and it suits him down to the ground. Boys are different creatures from girls, to be sure, and DD does occasionally moan about their immaturity, but as Amber syas they have their good points too.

Rob Clark wrote: ... as Amber syas they have their good points too.

A ringing endorsement of boyhood there from one of its graduates.

And you were kind enough not to correct my typo, too, Amber