The idea of creating separate academic environments for boys and girls has been practiced for quite a long until recently when the advantages of a co-educational setting have been explored. In her article, Jennifer Medina (2009) considers the evidence from a local school, where sex-segregated academic environments have been created. According to Medina (2009), a co-ed context provides a significantly greater range of opportunities for students to advance and develop the vital academic skills needed to study more efficiently.
The importance of promoting a co-ed approach to as many contexts of the academic setting as possible is communicated in Medina’s (2009) essay quite clearly. Specifically, the restricted opportunities for healthy academic competition are presented as an obvious problem in a single-sex academic environment. One of the arguments and passages in Medina’s (2009) essay that stands out specifically concerns the idea of mixed-sex physical education (PE). Although the idea of an inclusive school with mixed-sex classes appears reasonable, stretching it to the point where mixed-sex PE is established is highly unreasonable.
On the one hand, girls and boys need to learn to communicate and collaborate at an early age. Medina (2009) claims that there are no studies supporting the benefits of single-sex schools compared to the evident advantages of mixed-sex ones indicating that the latter should be prioritized. However, it is also vital to retain some classes, such as PE, where boys have an evident physical advantage, single-sex.
Insisting that the co-ed scenario offers students a broader range of opportunities to share knowledge and compete, Medina (2009) emphasizes the importance of encouraging a mixed-sex system in public schools. The essay outlines that the proposed solution has been supported by research and proven to have significantly more positive effects on students, particularly, male learners. However, Medina (2009) also subtly points out the possible issues that may arise when introducing a mixed-sex system into every school subject, including PE. Therefore, the essay offers a balanced and critical approach to the discussion of the issues associated with the co-ed idea.
Reference
Medina, J. (2009). Boys and girls together, taught separately in school. Issuu.com. Web.