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The pros and cons when deciding on a boarding school
Oftentimes when the term “boarding school” is mentioned, images of fun, excitement and adventure like those illustrated by JK Rowling in the Harry Potter series are conjured up.
However, before any kind of fun and adventure for the student can start, parents need to undergo the rigorous task of determining if they want to send their children to a co-ed or single-sex boarding school.
While on the surface this may seem like a simple enough decision to make, there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration before they make their choice.
Co-ed education
A co-ed boarding school is a schooling system where boys and girls learn and live together on the same campus. One of the main advantages is how it prepares students for the future, as they learn to co-exist and interact with both sexes, which is a mandatory life skill as they move on to tertiary education and subsequently, the working world.
By attending classes and participating in activities together, students will learn to appreciate and understand the similarities and differences between both genders. In addition, it helps promote mutual respect towards each other and reduce discrimination and stereotyping as they grow up with the understanding that both genders are equal and that a person’s gender does not determine their successes.
As arguments are bound to occur in schools, the workplace and home environment, a co-ed environment allows girls and boys learn to express themselves, share their views, and expose them to different viewpoints. They will be able to use this skill in the real world, and at the same time it helps them develop self-esteem and confidence when interacting with the opposite sex.
On the flipside, children who were not educated in co-ed schools may find it hard to socialise with the opposite sex as an adult as they are not used to interacting with them. Also, as they evolve into teenagers, they may start to develop feelings and attraction towards the opposite sex. This can cause them to get distracted and lose focus in their studies. That said, when boys and girls are together in the classroom, some students might feel shy or intimidated to participate in class, which may affect their academic performance.
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Gender-specific schools
It is a fact that boys and girls develop at different times, with girls reaching maturity much faster than boys, and this is also true with their cognitive learning abilities. Understanding this, a single-sex boarding school environment caters to students of specific genders and accommodates their approach to learning.
According to Tamara Lim, founder of PrepWorks and a UK boarding schools specialist, raising boys and girls have different challenges. She says a school specialising in one gender as opposed to both definitely has more experience in the pastoral aspect.
In single-sex schools, students don’t have to deal with the social pressures that come with a co-ed environment like going on dates or having a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Lim adds that in an all-girls school, parents feel the relational aspect to the opposite gender is taken out, giving more focus to academic and other pursuits.
This point is further illustrated with data compiled by best-schools.co.uk, a site that provides information, advice and services to parents and students seeking independent education in the UK. According to the site, only three out of the top 10 schools in the Top 100 Boarding Schools by GCSE were co-ed schools while the rest were single-sex schools.
“Girls in single-sex schools are more confident and independent as there is less social pressure speaking up in class and it is easier to rise to the top in certain areas like sport, drama and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), which are more male-dominated in the working world,” she explains.
What’s more, there are better opportunities for students to develop supportive friendships with their fellow classmates. They can explore new interests more freely while putting aside the stereotype of which subjects are more suited to specific genders.
See also: 14 boarding schools favoured by members of royal families
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On the other hand, being in a same-sex school does present some disadvantages to students. According to a report published by Science Daily, a website that publishes news and reports on science, sex segregation in school is detrimental to equality as it perpetuates gender stereotypes.
A single-sex school could make one gender believe that they are superior to the other. Some students then can carry this attitude with them into the working world, which can be detrimental to their personal and
career growth.
Associate professor Lucy Bailey, acting dean at Bahrain Teachers College, says that while there is a dearth of evidence on this, in the UK, concern has been expressed about traditional male public schools, which may create students who view their own gender and socioeconomic class as inherently better.
“I have conducted research in a boys’ day school in the UK, and a major finding was that female teachers found it was a machismo environment,” she says.
Dr Bailey adds there is a lot of evidence suggesting that single-sex environments benefit girls but disadvantage boys—in terms of both their academic and holistic development.
“We know that male-only environments are often associated with lower academic attainment than what boys obtain in co-educational settings,” she explains.
Lim adds to this saying that girls in single-sex schools benefit more as they are more independent because they are taught to survive without needing attention from the opposite sex.
Bailey says, however, there remains a question mark over whether girls need to experience co-educational environments in order to prepare them for the realities of professional life, for example, learning to speak in front of men.
While both education streams have their advantages and disadvantages, an important step for parents to take before making a decision is considering the needs and personality of their child.
Some children thrive in an environment that is full of challenges while others may not seem to fare as well. With older children, parents can also discuss options with them and listen to what they have to say.
Ultimately, parents should settle on an education system that promotes equality, instils confidence and allows the child to thrive, both academically and holistically.
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