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Comment by Overtonwindow | Hacker News Reader

I think this sentence is quite telling: "The separation of students, teachers, and administrators into single-sex public schools may serve cultural and religious purposes, but it seems to create an unintentional ghetto for boys...."

I think single-sex education is the answer here because for girls, it allows them to flourish and grow without the male-dominated Middle Eastern oppression. Girls can grow and learn in an environment that is more free, and open for them. I would be curious to see if this is true in other parts of the world that allow for single-sex education.

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There's some evidence that girls do academically better in single sex schools [0]. But there are a lot of factors involved so I don't think it's that straightforward.

It annoys me slightly that the narrative is that, when boys are doing better, it's because the girls are being held back somehow and when the boys are doing better it's because of an inherent failing in the boys. I have a funny feeling it's al la bit more nuanced than that.

[0] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35419284

Single Sex education was introduced in India by various Church run schools and from my own personal experience over couple of generations the model is totally frowned upon by most people.

Girls who work in that environment grow up without great interaction with boys and face a lot of trouble in future. However this is India where women can work etc. In Islamic oppressive countries however things might be different.

> However this is India where women can work etc. In Islamic oppressive countries however things might be different.

Women work in Pakistan too, FYI. India and Pakistan have been separated for roughly 60 years, their cultures are very similar.

Sure except nowhere close to the way they do in India. I remember how surprised a Pakistani journalist was to see Indian women riding two wheelers. I am not refering to mere get a job but also to step out of the house and compete in the open market for all sort of work.

>Girls who work in that environment grow up without great interaction with boys and face a lot of trouble in future.

assuming this is your personal opinion?

I had already clarified it in my original comment.

The middle east is extremely (extremely) personal status focused. For boys status is essentially family bound, and has little to do with academic achievement. For girls, an important component of their status, the job they'll later have (if any), is determined by their grades.

That this results in large amounts of effort should not surprise anyone.

The article does point this out but it does not give it the central attention it deserves.

girls seem out perform boys in usa, there is no sex segregation in usa , afaik.

http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/04/girls-grades....

Have you found anything that speaks to single-sex education in western countries as better, or worse for girls, or boys?

Gender-segregated parochial schools in the US tend to have typical outcomes for boys and notably good outcomes for girls. (at least back when I was a student in the early 90s)

So single-sex education might be good for girls in America, but not for boys?

That was the case, at least for parochial schools in the 90s.

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