You know, I attended an all-boys high school, and the cavalier, ignorant attitude exhibited above is exactly the kind of thing that routinely prevents and intim

You know, I attended an all-boys high school, and the cavalier, ignorant attitude exhibited above is exactly the kind of thing that routinely prevents and intimidates boys and men from pursuing the sort of education they deserve. My parents gave me two choices. Our neighborhood was close to three Catholic schools: one was co-ed, one was all-girls, and the other was all-boys. My father had attended the all-boys school, and the first time we visited, I found the computer lab well-stocked with machines I liked, and so it was a done deal from that day forward. I found the all-boys environment to be very comfortable, and it allowed many of us to be ourselves, just at that critical point of adolescent maturity when our individuality may have been hampered by social pressures of impressing girls, or being insulted/outperformed by girls. Our school has a close relationship with the all-girls one, and so we had many joint projects, such as plays in the drama department, school dances, and other social events. Summer school classes were open to girls as well, and so there was no shortage of girls around. There were also female teachers, in addition to the clergy and laymen who taught and coached there. I'll say it was just fine to have an all-boys locker room and all-boys P.E. because it was a time when I was extremely self-conscious about physical stuff. Our all-boys band helped me to grow and express myself. I really enjoyed it as an extra-curricular activity. Single-gender schools aren't for everyone. But I believe it's sort of a lost art today, when so many colleges have just collapsed into mixed-gender institutions, that indeed, young men are being emasculated and intimidated by strong feminine influences there.