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> This is a dangerous idea. Why? Because it starts with the idea that single-sex schools are better, then proceed to attempt to prove that point with studies I

by zeteo 13y ago

> This is a dangerous idea. Why? Because it starts with the idea that single-sex schools are better, then proceed to attempt to prove that point with studies I'm sorry, someone who attempts to prove their point with studies will always be more persuasive than another's hand waving. >But attending college and getting better grades is not the goal. Again, there are many people for whom educational attainment is important. >Do students who attend same-sex schools [...] push society forward in the underlying principals of a better civilization? Do they make the world better I'd say better education is a pretty big component of pushing society forward and making the world better. Why force everyone to attend co-ed schools? If some want to attend single-sex schools and this has proven educational benefits, let them do so. >For comparison, the United States is ranked 22nd [in the world in gender equality] A big part of which has been played by a well-known group of single-sex schools [1]. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sisters_(colleges) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sisters_(colleges)

podperson 13y ago
We're not actually measuring educational attainment (whatever that is) but admission into a 4 year college program. This is like measuring the effectiveness of the speed of your network by how many feet of cable you bought. Measuring graduation from a 4-year college program would at least be a measure of attainment of credentials, but this can be gamed simply by lowering bars. (The campaign against high school drop-out rates has largely consisted of making it easier to stay and harder to drop out (rather than actually improve any useful outcomes); the campaign to improve girls' science scores in Australian schools has largely comprised removing science from the science curriculum. Educational research is always plagued by these issues.) Single sex schools clearly helped improve the lot of women in the US (and other countries). But it's not clear that it was because single sex schools are better than co-ed (which is at issue) or that they are better than no schools at all (which appears blindingly obvious).

by zeteo 13y ago

podperson 13y ago

We're not actually measuring educational attainment (whatever that is) but admission into a 4 year college program. This is like measuring the effectiveness of the speed of your network by how many feet of cable you bought. Measuring graduation from a 4-year college program would at least be a measure of attainment of credentials, but this can be gamed simply by lowering bars. (The campaign against high school drop-out rates has largely consisted of making it easier to stay and harder to drop out (rather than actually improve any useful outcomes); the campaign to improve girls' science scores in Australian schools has largely comprised removing science from the science curriculum. Educational research is always plagued by these issues.) Single sex schools clearly helped improve the lot of women in the US (and other countries). But it's not clear that it was because single sex schools are better than co-ed (which is at issue) or that they are better than no schools at all (which appears blindingly obvious).