The document discusses gendered education and single-sex public schools. It provides background on how co-education was initially resisted in the 1800s due to beliefs that it would diminish men's superiority and respect. The author then surveys peers on their views of gender segregation in schools. The majority of participants were against segregation in classrooms. Two people said it could be acceptable to increase test scores or reduce disciplinary issues, but not as a permanent solution. In conclusion, the author believes greater awareness is needed, as gender segregation is not productive for youth.

1. Gendered Education Rachel Link

2. Background It wasn’t until 1858 that co-education was even considered; the colleges and male students did not want to be taught in the same classroom as women. I think part of it was out of fear that a woman would be smarter than them and they would lose respect, or they wouldn’t feel as superior to women if they were taught together. One university president in 1858 said this regarding co-education “men will lose as women advance, we shall have a community of defeminated women and demasculated men.”

3. Hypothesis Single sex public education movement is based on our brain chemistry and that it is not possible to get the kind of attention kids need in a co-education environment. The movement was implemented in public schools when they got desperate to increase test scores and reduce disciplinary problems. Does this make it okay? I wanted to find out what some of my peers thought in regards to gender segregation in our society is it wrong or are there circumstances that it is ok.

4. Methods I used the survey method and asked peers open-ended questions about how they felt and what they knew about gender segregation in the public school system. I decided to do this at my work place because there are a wide variety of people from different backgrounds.

5. Results The majority of my survey participants were against segregation in the classroom. The two people that said they could be for it had conditions. Much like how the SSPE began, to increase test scores or to help with disciplinary problems. Neither one of the participants that were for it said it should be a permanent thing for students, but perhaps kids could learn better with less distractions of the opposite sex.

6. Conclusion Awareness is always the first step to making a difference, the more people that are given the knowledge and can make a decision for them self the better. Our society has made vast changes through the years, but gender segregation in our schools is not something that is productive for our youth.