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The Pros and Cons of Coeducational Schools

As the values of society change, so also do the goals and objectives of education. A formal education system necessarily reflects the values of society, because its very purpose is to implement those things that the general community considers to be important and valuable. The system must change, therefore, if the general community changes with regard to what is and what is not appropriate. This seems to be particularly relevant to the question as to whether coeducational or same-sex schools are in the best interest of students.

A century ago, no one would have had much doubt about which system was better, particularly at the high school level. Moral values were clearly defined, and to most people, it seemed to be appropriate to separate boys and girls for their formal schooling. We can see a reflection of this way of thinking in today’s world when we observe Muslim communities in North America as well as in the Middle East. Traditional Christian communities also, such as the Amish and the Doukabors, continue to cling to the old values in their approach to education. For them, segregation by gender is the norm.

Most public elementary schools in North America have traditionally been coeducational and this has been seen as beneficial to young children during their early years. Parents who wanted their children to attend a gender-segregated school have usually had no choice but to enroll them in a private school that could offer them that option. Until relatively recently, some authorities, such as those responsible for Catholic schools, have tended to view gender segregation as being the norm at the high school level and coeducation as being a daring innovation. For most of the past century, however, public coeducational high schools have been available for anyone who wanted them.

Societal values today are very different from those of a century...