Boys-only schools 'issue of choice,' not segregation, director says
October 21, 2009
Comments on this story
(31)
Katie Daubs
Kristin Rushowy
Tanya Talaga
Boy-only schools are "an issue of choice" and not segregation, says the Toronto board's director of education.
Chris Spence, who has proposed an array of measures to help males better succeed in school, told reporters Wednesday that "in most situations, a co-ed environment will be the best environment" but "there's going to be individuals who will thrive in a single-sex setting, and if we are going to be about choice, trying to meet the needs of each and every student, we understand that students learn in different ways ... trying to provide those kinds of ways is important."
However, he added, the board does need to look at teaching practices in each and every classroom "to reflect the needs of our boys" who are behind girls in standardized test scores and are much more likely to be suspended or expelled.
The board opened an Africentric school in September that some have criticized as segregationist. When asked today how much more segregation the Toronto District School Board can take, Spence replied:
"I don't see this is an issue on segregation, I see this as an issue on choice. We're not forcing anybody to go into this kind of program or this kind of school. What we are saying (is) we recognize there is a diversity of learners with different learning styles and when you start to intersect that with some of the data we see around our boys, it's alarming. And, as I said, if you want to change some of the outcomes, you've go to do things a little bit differently."
Spence has said the board needs a male leadership academy for boys-only starting with kindergarten to Grade 3 as well as introduce boy-friendly classrooms. While researchers are divided as to whether there are any real advantages to same-sex schools, some have suggested that a mix of co-educational and single-sex classes may help. Because of different teaching practices and the resources allocated to such moves, pure academic benefits are difficult to measure.
At Cecil B. Stirling elementary in Hamilton, principal Doug Trimble raves about the effects of splitting up girls and boys in grades 6, 7 and 8.
Since doing so seven years ago, the school — which has been touted as the first in North America to give parents the option of mixed or single-sex classes — has seen student engagement soar. At a time when tweens tend to be turned off school, more students in the single-sex classrooms report enjoying school than the co-ed.
All other activities — sports, extracurricular, recesses — are mixed.
"It's been amazing," said Trimble, a veteran principal with the public board. Stirling school offers boys' only, girls' only and co-ed classes in the three upper grades, with wait lists for the first two.
The board has tracked students into high school and found that by the end of Grade 9, those in the single-sex classes were outperforming those from the co-ed class in 11 of 12 categories, such as attendance and trips to the office. It's difficult to track achievement because other factors may be at play, Trimble added.
Girls also have benefitted enormously from the split, added Trimble, especially in public speaking. Boys don't mind singing in front of others during music; "they respond and role play better."
Classroom instruction also differs. In a unit on war, for example, the teacher might talk about a girl at that time in history, growing up, her family and the issues she's dealing with. For boys, "we jump right into the battles" and then backtrack on what led up to the war.
Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday that other jurisdictions have shown that all-boys schools can work.
"I love the fact the (Toronto board) is now putting forward a plan, developing a consensus, pushing out the envelope and innovating," he told reporters.
"The fact of the matter is our boys are not doing as well as our girls when it comes to reading and behavioural challenges. I am delighted they are taking on that particular responsibility and finding a way to partner with us as we try and improve test scores."
McGuinty added this is different than the Africentric schools, which the province opposed.
"This is an all-boys school — not a some boys school. All colours, all faiths, all cultures, all heritages and traditions. All boys."
He also said that by putting boys in their own school, "you can put in place a curriculum that speaks to their special needs and opportunities and that focuses on some of their challenges including reading and behavioral."
Education Minister Kathleen Wynne said she likes that boards are looking for ways to improve student achievement and that is what this document does.
"We've done a lot in the ministry to put in place resources in mainstream schools to target boys and allow them to learn in the way they need to."
Learning styles need to be paid attention to, she said, but added they also need to be a little careful. "There are lots of girls who are kinesthetic learners and who want hands-on learning, too. This is an interesting move. It is something that already exists in the system and we'll obviously all be interested to see how it works out."
thestar.com