Past and Present separation in Education

Posted by Marie Ingram

In the past children have always been separated in schools, wether it be because of gender of of race. Because of the Jim Crow Laws schools across America were “separate but equal.” However, the schools were not equal, and it was not until Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954 were these laws reversed and children of different races went to the same school. Even though there was race ‘equality’ there has long been gender inequality in schools and it wasn’t until the implementation of Title IX in 1972 that it was required by law that male and female students had the same opportunities in school. There now is technically equality for everyone, no matter what race or gender. However today, schools are leaning towards separating the genders again over issues of young boys not concentrating during class time.
In a Washington Post article, “More Schools Trying Separation of the Sexes,” the opening paragraphs illustrate the differences between the boys and the girls. The girls sit nicely in circle and read poems out loud, and the boys, in a different classroom, sat in every direction and portraying them as animals, “One classmate did a backbend over his chair as he read. Another crawled on the floor.”
The article states that more schools are moving towards single-sex education because of the popular view that boys and girls are hard-wired to learn differently and would be more successful in a classroom where their needs could be met more efficiently. The No Child Left Behind Law cites gender separation as one tool to improve learning. In 2006 the Federal Government gave schools more flexibility to have gender separation as long as the education was equal (hmm where have we heard that before?) The article states that feminist groups are arguing against gender separation, saying that separation will perpetuate damaging stereotypes.

Chandler, Michael and Marie Gold. Washington Post. “More Schools Trying Separation of the Sexes.” 15 June 2008. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/14/AR2008061401869.html