The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

85 means that starting a single-sex school could greatly increase the budget that the district needs in order to keep their schools running. Therefore, as noted by Hayes, Pahlke and Bigler, costs and benefits of separation of students according to gender should be examined carefully before undertaking such a project. In the end, little scientific evidence favoring single-sex schools actually exists, and the evidence that does exist is often mixed or inconclusive (Hayes, Pahlke, and Bigler 693). Most studies either do not take into account peer quality and other student characteristics, or show little or no difference in the schools once those factors are weighed in. Hayes, Pahlke, and Bigler add that “nearly all reviews cite design flaws, especially the possible presence of selection effects, as significantly hindering the interpretation of existing studies” (693). The article by Halpern et al. talks specifically about the lack of evidence in support of the benefits of single-sex schooling as an alternative to coeducational schooling (1706). In other words, gender itself does not appear to be the main determiner of students’ success; therefore, the logical conclusion is that the high cost of establishing single-sex schools is not worth the uncertainty of the schools’ success. Single-sex education limits self-discovery and forces children to miss out on friendships with, and the insight of, the opposite gender. Coeducation, on the other hand, allows children to start learning how to function in the real world, a world where men and women have to work together every single day. Works Cited Brown, Christia. “Legal Issues Surrounding Single-Sex Schools In The U.S.: Trends, Court Cases, And Conflicting Laws.” Sex Roles 69.7/8 (2013): 356-362. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. Eliot, Lise. “Single-Sex Education And The Brain.” Sex Roles 69.7/8 (2013): 363-381.Ebscohost. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. Gurian, Michael, and Kathy Stevens. Boys and Girls Learn Differently!: A Guide for Teachers and Parents. 3rd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2011. Web. Halper, Diane, Lise Eliot, Rebecca Bigler, Richard Fabes, Laura Hanish, Janet Hyde, Lynn Liben, and Carol Martin. “The Pseudoscience of Single-Sex Schooling.” Sciencemag. org. American Association for the Advancement of Science,