This isn’t a new debate, but one recent news has us considering again. Are single-sex schools in Australia ‘better’ than co-ed schools? We’re fed the idea that boys-only and girls-only schools – mostly expensive private institutions – produce better academic performances from their students, create a safer environment for girls, and send students on the path to high-achieving careers.
But is there any evidence to prove those claims? And is that evidence enough to outweigh the incredibly disturbing and dangerous behaviours exhibited by single-sex students, particularly from all-boys schools?
Thankfully, there’s a lot of research to dig into – here’s the overview.
How many students are in single-sex schools in Australia?
According to the Australian Council for Education Research (ACER) analysis of MySchools 2015 data, only 12% of Australian students are enrolled in independent single-sex scools. This is down from 31% in 1985 – if the pattern continues, there will be no independent single-sex schools by 2035.
There are more girls-only than boys-only schools; and there are very few Government single-sex schools. The vast majority of single-sex schools are full-fee paying private or Catholic, with the few public options being academically-selective.
Before we dig into the research, two important notes:
- Because single-sex schools in Australia are almost entirely selective (i.e.: you have to pay your way in or pass an entrance exam) it makes comparison difficult. Some studies factor in the socioeconomic elements well, others do a poor job. Keep that in mind as you read!
- There are far more studies out there than we have space to include below. We’ve read widely to provide an overview of what the weight of the data says, consistent with the stance of Australian academics. It’s non-comprehensive, but it’s a start!
Should single-sex schools exist in today’s climate? #QandA pic.twitter.com/oj3unJyj3R
— QandA (@QandA) March 18, 2021
The Claim: Single-sex schools produce better academic results
The Data: There is no consistent evidence to support this claim.
If anything, more studies show that there is no difference in performance at all. And it’s an area that’s been researched for a long time.
That includes a 2013 Irish study, which focused on the maths results of high-performing 9-year-olds. Boys performed better than girls across the board, and girls-only schools did not close that academic gap (as it often claimed). Interestingly, as Ireland’s education system is single-sex by default, there are fewer socio-economic issues baked into the research.
Looking at primary school students in Australia, analysis of NAPLAN data in 2017 found that single-sex schools had higher rates of literacy and numeracy… but that this did not hold up over time. This research even suggested that the initial gap was not enough of a ‘value add’ to be considered a real benefit over co-ed schools.
Studies from the 80s focusing on high school students from Victoria (Year 7 and 8) and Queensland (Year 12) also show no noteworthy benefit to single-sex schools when it comes to academic performance.
An important study from 1988 took advantage of a unique opportunity for research: two separate single-sex high schools in NSW, merging into a new co-ed school. The study followed students in various grades, over a five-year period. Becoming a co-ed school had – you guessed it! – no positive or negative effect on the performance of male or female students.
The Claim: Single-sex schools produce better academic results for girls
The Data: Improved performance is unlikely to be due to the gender-makeup of school.
Supporters of single-sex education often say that it’s a better for girls specifically – but again, the evidence doesn’t clearly support that belief.
Take the study of 1200 Year 12 students in Queensland in 1985 (a lot of the research is from the 80s!) It looked at a range of factors, including single-sex vs co-ed schooling, and the findings were very specific. Girls with “mothers in white-collar work” received slightly better final exam scores in co-ed schools; girls with “mothers without paid work” received slightly better scores in single-sex schools. This suggests that other factors are much bigger influencers of performance than whether your peers are same-sex only.
Even studies that do find a difference in academic performance admit that other factors have significant impact. A 2011 study of mid-west USA high schools found that while students from single-sex schools outperformed the co-ed schools, they could not not differentiate that result from public vs private schools. It’s a similar problem faced by Australian research, where the single-sex education sector is largely private and selective. The same study found that girls in private schools did not outperform girls in public schools.
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The Claim: Single-sex schools are better for students’ self-confidence
The Data: There may be some truth to this for girls.
Education is not only about academic performance – developing social skills, self-confidence and general wellbeing is just important when considering a school’s impact.
The study of the merged NSW high school also measured student’s self-concept (how they felt about themselves) with a survey. Post-merger, all students reported higher self-concept scores than pre-merger, and there was no difference between boys and girls.
However, for girls the evidence does suggest some advantages to single-sex environments.
An Australia study reported that girls in single-sex maths classes had more confidence in their maths ability – that didn’t necessarily mean the performed better, but rather they had less doubt and were more comfortable in their learning. This in turn increased the likelihood of them taking more senior math classes.
And a 2013 study of girls in Year 5 and 6 in Colombia found that girls in co-ed schools were more likely to be targets for bullying. Interestingly though, in all-girls schools students reported feeling more pressure to conform to gender norms. Those considered not ‘gender typical’ were more likely to be targets of bullying in all-girls schools.
The Claim: All-girls schools encourage girls to pursue STEM subjects
The Data: This is not supported by the evidence.
One of the most popular claims by all-girls school supporters is that the environment encourages girls to pursue STEM subjects, and breaks down gender norms.
Say it with us again: “this is not supported by the evidence!” In all fairness to all-girls schools, many of them are likely very good at encouraging girls to pursue STEM and challenging outdated social norms. But this is more likely the result of the specific teaching approach, the staff, the community they exist within, and more – not merely because they only have female students.
A few research studies to consider:
- Longitudinal research of 15-year-old Aussie kids from 2009, which found that there is no compelling difference in female students’ propensity to choose physical sciences between all-girls and co-ed schools. This did find a marginal difference, which was eliminated when other more influential factors (academic achievement, parental characteristics, student’s science self-concept, study time and availability of qualified teachers) were considered.
- An Australian study looking at first-year university students, which found all-girls students do not choose physical science majors at higher rates than their co-ed peers.
Even a research piece conducted for the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia (a non-profit lobby group) in 2017 showed that it’s not as simple as “girls only = good”. In their sample, more women from co-ed schools ended up working in Engineering; while more women from all-girls schools ended up working in Health. What did these women say was more influential in their choice of career? Being good at STEM subjects, their parents, and good employment prospects.
Do we need single-sex schools anymore?
When considering whether single-sex schools have a place in Australia’s future, we need to consider why we have them. If it’s based purely on the perception of academic achievement, then you could argue that we don’t need them – factors other than being single-sex will determine the performance outcomes for students.
If it’s for social reasons, the answer is less certain. All-girls schools may create a slightly more comfortable environment for female students, but that alone won’t dismantle the gender gaps that exist in Australia.
Then again, by 2035… this might not matter at all.
