Writing topic: Some people say that students should go to single sex schools while
others say that this may worsen gender inequality and even their study. Discuss both
viewpoints and give your own opinion.
Answer 1
There is no doubt that single-sex schools have become increasingly popular in the society
and have gained vast attention. Regarding this trend, some people show strong approval
whereas others hold the belief that this can lead to gender discrimination as well as
deteriorating school performances. In this following essay, both viewpoints will be
discussed and my personal opinion will be given as well.
Initially, it goes without saying that single-sex schools offer numerous merits. To begin
with, students at same-sex schools are less likely to suffer from gender stereotypes.
Notably, they do not have to stick to rigid principles or fixed expectations about each
gender’s behavior. Therefore, pupils can grasp chances to nurture and flourish their
nature in lieu of forsaking their true selves. Moreover, teachers can also treat students
more fairly as they do not have to consider gender differences. To illustrate, while
teachers in mixed schools tend to give boys more physically demanding tasks than girls,
in single-sex ones every individual is completely equal and has the same responsibilities
and duties. Consequently, youngsters can learn for themselves to cover every assigned
task, rather than depending on the opposite sex.
However, it is my opinion that merits brought by single-sex schools are definitely
outweighed by demerits. First, youngsters’ skills may not be developed holistically. As a
matter of fact, teenagers are deprived of essential face-to-face interactions with their
opposite-sex peers on a daily basis. Thus, this can result in restrictions in socializing
skills, which are absolutely vital in the future. As a result, they will not be fully prepared
for all the hardship they have to overcome as adults. Moreover, single-gender schools do
not provide students with access to diversity. Obviously, in those schools adolescents are
not given opportunities to understand the viewpoints of the opposite sex. Hence, they
may view the world from a one-sided perspective or even worse, harbour erroneous
judgments about the community.
In a nutshell, it is without doubt that single gender schools have both benefits and
drawbacks. From my personal perspective, those schools can do more harm than good to
students. Thus, it is my own belief that mixed schools should be the best choice for
children to fully develop and become decent citizens in the future.
Answer 2:
In the current knowledge-based economy, education is widely hailed as the most
secure avenue to success. Nevertheless, public opinions have polarized as to the most
favourable environment for children’s comprehensive development. While some contend
that single-sex school may do wonders for both genders, others strongly refute this idea
by indicating its detrimental impacts on gender equality as well as academic
performance. The following essay aims at shedding light on the reasoning of both sides.
On the one hand, sex-segregated schools are alleged to be beneficial to students’
progress. As a matter of fact, each gender is able to entirely concentrate on their academic
performances and extracurricular activities with fewer external distractions. It has been
commonly observed in co-educational system that boys and girls have a tendency to keep
tabs on each other. As a result, it will impede them from applying themselves to
knowledge acquisition and skills sharpening. In contrast, in single-gender institutions,
girls are surrounded by peers of the same gender and undertake tasks with female
partners, which eliminates unwanted distraction and betters their study outcomes
accordingly.
On the other hand, educating two sexes separately is believed to engender
deterioration in study results as well as gender disparity. In such an environment, students
may lack the essential motivation to develop their full potentials owing to the absence of
fierce competitiveness between male and female. Additionally, juveniles may be hard put
to it to socialize with partners of the other sex in the future. This lack of communication
is likely to restrict students’ optimal development, not least when they progress to
university or join in the workplace. What’s more, separated gender-based system is
without doubt aggravating sex inequity. To be more specific, each gender’s preferences
towards particular subjects will lead to the focused curriculum of such subjects in single-
sex schools. Therefore, it may reinforce the erroneous belief that women might only
pursue socially-related occupations whereas men are supposed to stand better chances in
careers related to science.
In conclusion, attending single-sex schools will generate not only immeasurable
plus points but also unfavorable byproducts. Personally, I am an advocate of this kind of
school, considering its multifarious benefits outweighing disadvantages.