Gender Specific Classrooms

Brandi brought home a notice today, asking if parents would be interested in attending a meeting at the school to discuss splitting the kids into gender specific classrooms.

They want to have these classes available for parents, if they choose this for their kids. They will also have traditional boy/girls classrooms, and I think that is where I want Brandi to stay. The notice listed the following benefits for the kids being in classrooms that are gender specific, and to me, they are not compelling enough for me to pull Brandi out of a traditional classroom.

typical benefits for girls

• more interest in and enthusiasm for math and science
• more academically inclined
• spend more time on task in the classroom
• more open to discuss sensitive issues and concerns
• more interest in classroom participation
• more likely to study more advanced levels of mathematics and science
• accept and develop leadership roles
• fewer gender distractions
• less likely to have stereotypical views of females in the workplace
• enjoy school more

typical benefits for boys

• better chance of being on the college preparatory road
• more development of reading and writing skills
• better chance of not dropping out of high school
• more focused participation
• more open to discuss issues and concerns
• learn collaborative working strategies
• fewer gender distractions
• less likely to have stereotypical view of females
• develop a positive attitude toward school
• less discipline referrals
• less referrals for special education

I know boys and girls develop differently, but should that mean that they should be taught separately from the girls? Now, my attitude may be different if they were offering this in the higher grades, when the relationships between boys and girls gets a little more complicated, and hormonal. But for a third grader, I think social interaction with boys is a good thing.

Now, that is just my opinion. I am really interested to know if any of you moms out there have you kids in these types of classes. If so, do you see the benefits? Are there disadvantages?

I do not have to make my mind up today, though I did say I was not interested in attending the meeting. Junior agrees with me. In fact, I asked his opinion first, that way he wasn't swayed by mine. I just hope that they don't decide to make the whole school gender specific classrooms. I really think us parents should have a choice, especially in a public school.