School days….to seperate or not……..
Was just musing about my school days…….when I was in the infants school the class was mixed, girls and boys, mixed classes in my junior school too, but when I moved into the senior school the girls and boys were segregated into different classes, we even had different playgrounds……….looking back I’m wondering if this was something to do with puberty and the different sexes beginning to take an interest in each other, times have changed again and now the senior school is mixed, what I am wondering is if you think that this is a good or bad thing, could it be a distraction to concentration and learning in class……….or pupils who maybe a little shy would become even more reluctant to come forth in the company of the opposite sex………xx
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That’s a very deep question Starr. My infant was mixed but boys and girls rarely mixed together. Junior was separated. Then senior went back to mixed.
I hated the boys being there in senior. I wonder if it was because I lived in a small village and we all knew each other. There was definately none I fancied.
At 14 the village school closed and we all went to the comprehensives. I got on a lot better with lads there because they didn’t know my background, older brothers and sisters and vice versa.
I think if you go through the whole of your school life in mixed classes it would be easier. But in the end the kids who enjoy school and want to put the work in will always benefit. And unfortunately the there will always be the bullies and the bullied.
School days suck big time. xxx
Hi Blinker, well school for me was just somewhere I had to go, wasn’t unhappy there but neither can I say I loved it, just tolerated it and did what I had to do, cannot remember any bullying going on thank goodness, horrifying the bullying and vileness that is happening in some schools today, driving some kids to suicide, wonder why that is happening now, seems if you don’t fit a certain image, usually a high maintenance one then you are singled out for bullying, or if you are pretty, or if you have red hair, all beggers belief, just do not understand this mentality at all, but certainly do not envy the school kids of today, so much for your schooldays being the best days of your life, not for lots they arnt……
Morning Starette, this is a decent blogs for once that has been peruse on the mind with the children in a different school environment of that like you, I was in a lot of schools that apart in classes and playgrounds too.
When we were in separate schools or classes was the normal way of done, mostly by religious churches as with the RC church we had to be in a different school or class because it was done to this church it like to keep apart the sexes, it can have a long belief of church pages of excuses to segregation of pupils. you either went to a boys school taught by male teachers or girls taught by nuns, as I was done in, even to the playrooms of separate pupils.
My school had a small school that still even certain staff from male and females teachers. we had taught female pupils with domestic duties because it was the duty of the female pupil to assured of the future of marriage. The males of more likely taken to classes that were taught from the usual lessons which then would to taught as in the males teachers by manual classes as in carpentry and metalwork, this was to make the pupils to ensure of a work-group for prepared for leaving school.
this all ended all this due to the labour leader of Wilson government to abolished with a lot of laws, especially the separate sexes pupils in schools. Acts of Sexual Discrimination of Schools. Abolished later on in the 70s it was a law for any discrimination of ethic or religious or sex in the schools. So it has a long time to get from the days of the 40s to 70s even today still people should we could go to the old days, sorry but I never once love getting corporal punishment even my own parents always never liked that kind of punishment at school, I had a lot of the tawse or strap as well from slipper, canes and the ruler, it seems that teachers thrive love those instruments of corporal punishment.
Its has taken the better part of my answer to you for a good hour, I have to put my words as it is have to draft over and over to correct my old feeble brain, but making progress. thanks for the time.
Hello Teds, thank you very much for taking the time and the trouble to reply to my blog, not an easy thing for you to do at the moment, well thank goodness the days of harsh punishment have passed, when I was at school the lads had a male teacher who had been known to hang his pupils out of a top floor window by their feet, some will say today he was a brilliant teacher, other’s will say they were scarred for life, whilst I don’t in anyway condone this behaviour I do question discipline in some schools today………it’s a tough call for the teachers, not a career for the feint hearted…………well need I comment on the girls lessons for their future duties……lol……..and the boys as the breadwinners……..lots more equality today on that score I’m pleased to say………although I have to say i’m thankful for the lessons I received in domestic science as it was known, cookery and dressmaking have stood me in good steed through my life, don’t think they snared me a hubby though….lol xx
Morning Starette, thanks a reply. Yes you have the discipline seems gone to those days have pupils have outrageous in schools, the staff all general have been outstanding in those schools, but today they are all a lot of tied hands, it is all but they can do but send those to pupils a talking to with words of encouragement in hoping that they see sense, although maybe the odd can have understand. I don’t think it is a lot to at the home as well, the inner schools are not better the parents too busy to be bother with their children, sad it is a fact. most of my children were well taught in the home with most domestics, the most of cooking, washing, iron and cleaning all taught to these things as from the younger kids even taught to basics electric plugs and how plumbing was basic home jobs, a few like the gardening some I know what a car did for, even my girls and boys help with my work in the door industry down to the use of correct tools that I have from my company, at least they could do most a lot of thinks and stay to their memory, although some have to some of them have a tendency to be lazy, sad fact that some of them like the social system rather than go to work, sad it turned that some out like that way.
Hi Teds, I also think discipline starts in the home and should not be left for the teachers to sort out, if and when they do try to discipline some they end up being assaulted themselves, cannot win I guess……..well at least you know you did the best for yours and taught them skills that will never be forgotten, how they make use of them and lead their lives is up to them now, you can do no more….xx
Hi Star,I recall my school years as mainly wonderful,primary school was mixed but boys and girls didnt mix that much and we would get along fine in the classroom and the school yard.The girls seemed to be smarter that us boys for some reason,maybe it was a “growing out of” phase in childhood hahahahaha.Secondary school was all boys until my final year when the department introduced co ed at our school and 2 classes of girls came for their 1st year of secondary school.For us older boys in was a bit daunting as we were supposed to be the example setters of the school and much questionable behavior had to be modified.It didnt take long for the 13 year olds to look upon us big boys in a brotherly way and we became their protectors from the lesser minions of the school yard,for those of us who had no sisters it was a fun time.I don`t know how it would have been had I have gone through all of secondary school alongside female students with all of us growing into puberty,we were lucky in that there were no distractions and we were able to concentrate on the classroom work.I think todays kids have a different set of responsibilities and values and mixed schools at present are geared to achieve an amicable atmosphere for boys and girls to go through school together without impairment to education.I sometimes muse over my years at school and all I feel are good things.
Hello Star,
when I first came to school 1951 we had very, very stern teacher to face. Most of them had just returned from war imprisonment and their own stern upbringing and their battle drill were very vivid as you can imagine?
The very first 6 years we had mixed classes but devided into parallel classes( 1a+1b ) which means, 1a was filled with catholic and 1b with protestant pupils.
After the first 6years of school we only had mixed classes (boys and girls) (c+p).
Until the age of 15/16years sex ambition did not exists at all. Mixed classes did us good cos we all could impress the other in reciprocal with our performances. No our time at school was good, hard and sometimes filled up with tears, but at all; it was a good time.xxxM
Hello Michael, never realised the different religions were taught separately, times have certainly changed, my grandson was given homework to do re the Muslim religion, he had no computer at the time and had to book In time at the library to use theirs, it cost money in printing out information, and time which could have been better spent, this I strongly objected to because he is not Muslim, and the Muslims were not required and indeed would never have agreed to study another religion, not being racist here just stating facts, don’t know what happens today when religious instruction takes place, cannot see it being mixed classes for different races……..xxx
Hi Sylvester, well we didn’t really have what could be called sex education at school, just biology lessons. and these most certainly wouldn’t have been done within a mixed class………..in school today there is no segregation when sex education is taught, just don’t think we would have coped with that……..oh the embarrassment……..lol xx
I was in mixed school classes my entire school life. The only classes not co-ed were when the boys went to woodwork or metalwork and the girls to “domestic science”…..and of course sex education was also segregated, although i have no idea why because we both got told the same thing. Don’t have sex. Really helpful.
I think the co-ed approach equips both sexes better to deal with the other, I remember one poor lad when we were 15 who transferred in from an all boys school. The poor sod was terrified of these strange things called girls.
Haaaaa strange things called girls………..hope mixed classes taught you some of the wily ways of us strange creatures…………don’t have sex !! well that advice would have fell on deaf ears that’s for sure……..hehe xx
I went to a Catholic convent school, very strict, very academic.
No boys, no distractions….no bullying. You worked hard because the nuns set high standards,they pushed you,and in fact,they encouraged a strong sense of everything being possible in a career for a woman.
BUT……boys had a strange attraction to us…..half fear, half dread,and it was many years before we felt at ease with the opposite sex. The school still exists as a single sex establishment, but very few teaching nuns
remain. I’m glad that was my school,I was painfully shy as a child and would have been awkward with boys….or perhaps mixing with them would have made me more comfortable…….
So the strong Catholic nuns served you well………i suppose it’s down to the individual how they would fare in mixed classes………some would be quite happy, other’s not so……..whether it would have made you less shy who knows, i think not, it could have been excruciating and prevented you from concentrating on your lessons………anyway you will never know, and you certainly did ok from your schooling so no problems there…..xx
I was extremely shy in school. I don’t think that being in an all boys school would have made any difference. I never found anything wrong with girls, even to this day.
High school were the best years. We had different classrooms and different teachers and also different classmates for each course.
We only had sex education one day in grade 9. That time they separated the girls from the boys. One of the guys couldn’t stop joking and giggling so the teacher dismissed the class…bummer, aside from math classes, I was really looking forward to this. Maybe the teacher was uncomfortable, I can understand her.
Hi David, sorry to hear you missed that one day of sex education, but I’m sure you opted for further education on that one ermm………..I was asking my hairdresser, who has only be left school 4 years, what was the set up when she was at school for teaching sex education, she said it was a mixed class but the boys spent the lesson just sniggering, so nothing has changed from your day, boys will always be boys…xx
Hi Starlette. In the 10th grade I had a physics teacher who was extremely motivated when he taught. I was looking forward to his classes. Then one day he put the chalk aside, sat on the edge of his desk, facing us, and told us about the birth of his child that had recently happened. About how he was in the delivery room and what was going on. I remember that he was humbled by it all.
I am fortunate that I experienced that moment twice in my life.
Hi David, I would say he was way in front of his time even being at the birth of his child……..such events were left to the women and the midwife at one time, over here anyway, no men allowed, it was unheard of, still not sure how many men really want to be at the birth of their children, lots under pressure to be there, but do they really want to be ??….xx
I was in a mixed school for infants Star, then a girls school and back to a mixed school from age eleven. I do not understand what the boys went to one school and the girls another before the age of eleven.
Haven’t a clue Tania, maybe something to do with laws being passed as Teds mentions in his comment….xx
A quick comment. Segregation by sexes allows discrimination in the quality or type of education and I am against it. In my small community we had barely enough students for one school and classes were divided by achievement level not gender which worked. The shop and home economics were for boys only or girls and that was a bad idea. I have need shop training all my life and have been responsible for home and appliances except lawn mowers most of my life. I just never cut grass but I did do hedges and flower gardens. There is too much gender discrimination where boys are educated separately.
Hello Rose, thank you for you comments, now what I do have an issue with is everyone being put in the main stream of education regardless of their capabilities……..far to controversial for me to go into on here, but I will say how can it possibly work, some students are being held back, and some are not ready for the level that is being taught, lots are losing out…….xx
I agree with you on that starlette. and that is why gender should not be used and interests and aptitudes and ability should be used in providing courses and for placement decisions.