Nonfiction Reading Response

In the magazine Upfront, JFK His Death & Legacy 50 Years Later, there is an article on page 22 named, “Should Boys and Girls Be Taught Separately?” In this article there is a section of why boys and girls should be taught separately, written by Kathy Piechura-Couture. And there is a section of why they shouldn't be taught separately, written by Galen Sherwin. Each section includes arguments of why they are right, and evidence to support it.

In Kathy Pierchura-Couture’s paragraph it states that, “Single sex classrooms have helped close the achievement gap between boys and girls. It’s also changed attitudes: Girls in the single sex class think science is fun, while girls in the co-ed class say they don't like science. In a recent survey, 87 percent of parents said being in single-sex classes increased their child’s self-esteem and motivation.” What I don't like about this sentence is that we don't know if it is true or not. How do we know that the girls in the single sex class like science because they have a good teacher, and the ones in the co-ed class hate science because they have a bad teacher? We don't know if liking science and not liking science relates at all between being in a classroom with girls and boys, and being in a classroom of just girls, and just boys. It might be the teacher, which shows the study might not be accurate. Also in addition each kid is different, this shows that maybe some just don't like science in general and some do, which doesn't connect to being in single sex classes, or classes of different sex. To add on I think instead of showing a bunch of surveys, the perspectives of teachers and principals should be in this text. We only get to hear the authors thoughts, and surveys that she tells us about, but what about the people who watch the children in school with their own eyes? They are the ones teaching the children and know their personalities.

In Galen Sherwin’s paragraph it says, “When it comes to learning, every student is different. Some kids are more outgoing than others. Some like to move around a lot, and others prefer to sit still. This is true whether you’re a boy or a girl. That's why it doesn't make sense to put students into separate classes based on generalizations about boys and girls.” From this I can infer what the author is trying to say is just because some girls and boys don't feel comfortable around the opposite sex, doesn't mean all girls and boys should be in same sex classes, only the ones who feel most comfortable in them. The section also says, “School is where students should learn to work with kids who have different interests and strengths, Boys and girls need the chance to learn from each other too.” What the author is trying to say is making judgments on learning styles based on only gender, limits opportunities for boys and girls. They should have an education that teaches them, not stereotypes.

After reading this article it made me think about my school. I go to a boys and girls school. This benefits me because I get to see the perspectives of many different students. Some girls might agree on some things, and some boys might agree on others, and I get to see what that is like. In addition I have many friends that are guys, and if I were to go to an all girls school I would have never met them. I think same sex schools are fine if that is what the child is comfortable with, but no one should be pushed into a same sex school if they don't feel comfortable there. After reading this article I would like to read more about same sex schools, and see what they are like.