One can also ask the question, “Will all boy classes and all girl classes affect the way boys and girls interact with each other?” I see how one will ask that question because one might think that if a boy or girl is always around their gender, they might get too comfortable around their own sex, and not want to interact with their opposite gender in the long run. Obviously, boys and girls in school have recess and lunch every day, so that would be one way where they can interact with each other. But even that is not enough for boys and girls to get comfortable with each other. If there is all boy classes and all girl classes, I believe that the solution to prevent children from getting too comfortable with their own sex; is to have days where both sexes have to interact with each other. For example, have a day of the week where girls and boys are brought together and learn things that are compatible for both girls and boys, and not favor a certain gender. Another way can be, half the day girls and boys have and all boy class and all girls class, and learn things favorable to their gender, and the other half of the day, they come together have something taught that is compatible for both of them.
Hopeful I didn’t sound biased to male because I am a male, but I do have a perspective from both sides because I am a gay male. So I have sympathy for both males and females. I was just giving the example for elementary schools because that is where Restak when into detail with. He didn’t go much into detail with higher levels of educations, but he did say that higher education favors men over women, so that is why I gave that example. So if elementary favors females, and higher education favors males; that is why I believe that modern education should be revised and changed.
It might be a good idea to try a different method of education this countries children; since, the current method of education is producing a lot of children coming out of school with learning disabilities. The statement “The future of nation depends on our children” should be taken very seriously. If by offering separate but equal education to boys and girls will produce a generation of smarter educated adults, then I am all for it. It is also important to consider the social interaction of boys and girls, which is also very important when separating them. I like your examples of how to keep them socially interactive by selecting certain days for teaching them both things that are compatible to them as well having designated hour in a day to teach them together. I believe that your example is not only good for grades K-5, but should work equally as well in grades 6-12, because it is important that if the method of teaching is proven to be a success in grades K-5, then it should be a key factor in implement it when teaching children in grades 6-12. I don’t how many more studies have been done on the learning patterns of boy and girls besides from Restaks. I feel that more studies should be done and the results revealed to the communities as being a success before the current education system is changed.
ReplyDeleteI too like your “separate but equal” approach. I have three brothers, all of who are quite intelligent in different areas, and learn differently. I have often noticed how I can hear what a person said without really listening, I have this ability to go back in my memory a couple of minutes and almost re-hear what the other person has said and then respond, this happens in a very fast space of time, so fast that most people unless they really know me and are paying attention, don’t realize that I wasn’t really listening, I just caught up wicked fast. My brothers are not like that, I often must repeat something vocally if their attention has deviated but they seem to be able to pick things up quickly, spatially, where as it might take me a couple of times, or a little longer to look before I realize what is going on. One way is not better, just different; we each seem to have different ways in which we arrive at the same place. I often think that, even though good intentioned, many people go so far in trying to make things “equal” that they homogenize the subject, instead of individualizing it. Different should not mean that something is better or worse then the other, culturally we are becoming more able to appreciate each other’s differences, why not intellectually as well.
ReplyDeleteI really like your model of how schools should be formed to teach the different genders in the way in which each learns better. Yes we need to socialize with each other through contact; so having boys and girls in some of the same classes is a good idea. I also think that there is some merit socially, of same sex classes, boys in all boy classes and girls in all girl classes. Perhaps if school was structured this way the individual sexes could learn to appreciate and support each other without competition with each other, when the opposite sex is around. This can happen, it seems especially with girls, when the classes are co-ed. Being together and leaning together, with our individual “genders”, for lack of a better term, could form bonds where we support each other instead of competing. It’s just a thought.