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\nOne of Australia\u2019s most prestigious boys\u2019 schools has just announced it will go co-ed.<\/p>\n
\nOne of Australia\u2019s most prestigious boys\u2019 schools has just announced it will go co-ed.<\/p>\n
Last week, Sydney\u2019s Cranbrook School \u2013 whose alumni include Kerry and James Packer and Atlassian founder Mike Cannon-Brookes \u2013\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0it will be fully co-educational by 2029.<\/p>\n Cranbrook joins a growing list of private schools around the country that are either considering going co-ed or have already done so. These include\u00a0Newington<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Barker College<\/a>\u00a0in Sydney, The\u00a0Armidale School<\/a>\u00a0in NSW and\u00a0Canberra Grammar<\/a>\u00a0in the ACT.<\/p>\n Does this mean we are seeing the beginning of the end of all-boys\u2019 schools?<\/p>\n Single sex vs co-ed\u00a0debates<\/a>\u00a0have been going for decades in education circles. Which creates better outcomes? Is the answer different for boys than for girls?<\/p>\n It\u2019s also one that many parents have a strong personal view on, perhaps influenced by what they experienced growing up.<\/p>\n The short answer is, decades of research into the topic remains\u00a0inconclusive<\/a>.<\/p>\n When it comes to students\u2019 academic achievement, the\u00a0biggest predictor<\/a>\u00a0of success is not gender but socio-economic status, whether they live in a rural or remote area, and race (especially if they are Indigenous).<\/p>\n When it comes to social outcomes, the debate becomes more complicated.<\/p>\n Some research has\u00a0criticised<\/a>\u00a0single-sex schools for segregating girls and boys, exaggerating differences between them and putting them in opposition to each other. This is not helpful when preparing students for understanding gender diversity and negotiating the world beyond school.<\/p>\n But research\u00a0has also<\/a>\u00a0shown how boys take up much more physical space and teacher time in schools and classrooms than girls. Boys tend to be more disruptive, and require more discipline and attention.<\/p>\n Some research indicates\u00a0boys may do better<\/a>\u00a0in co-ed environments than girls. Education researchers have\u00a0long-acknowledged<\/a>\u00a0that girls can be a positive influence on boys\u2019 behaviours \u2013 but to the detriment of their own learning. For example, girls may be asked to sit next to disruptive boys as a calming influence.<\/p>\n Cranbrook old boys tell school to embrace co-ed plans | @JordsBaker<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/aVIWBZfCmA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) June 3, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nSingle sex vs co-ed<\/strong><\/h4>\n
The gender question<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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