Argument Essay - should school be separated by gender

Argument - should school be separated by gender - Essay Example These trends continued in many institutions that were slow to change, or believed that gender-segregation created a more functional scholastic environment. This essay argues that gender segregation in the scholastic environment is a misguided policy because of the nature of school as used for student development, the problem of stereotypes, the learning experience, and the undemocratic process of such segregation. A counter perspective is also considered. Large amounts of people reject the notion that schools should be segregated along gender lines. There are a variety of reasons that support this perspective. One of the prominent reasons in this mode of understanding is that the scholastic environment does not simply function as a means of promoting education, but also operates as a means of preparing students for the real world and the democratic process. In these regards, restricting school to one gender creates an artificial environment that is not at all reflective of the real world. When this notion is considered on a deeper level one also understands that the process of the scholastic environment functions on a developmental level as well. For instance, children learn how to interact with the opposite sex in romantic and platonic ways. For an individual to successfully function in the real world it becomes necessary for them to learn to navigate such relationships (Barton & Cohen). Individuals that support gender segregation t hen are shortsighted in that they fail to recognize the strong amount of learning that occurs between classes. Within the understanding of students’ development, one also considers the nature of stereotypes. Proponents of gender segregation in the classroom have argued that because of gender differences learning can be more effective and efficient in a gender-segregated classroom. While such theories are rooted in educational theory, a number of people have challenged such