How can the positive changes be attributed to sex separation when there were
so many other significant changes: curriculum modification, added
instructional support, and reduced class sizes?
As the mother of two "Ferdinand the Bull" type teenage sons--whose interests
are *their* interests, not "boys'" interests and whose language skills are
strong--I take very seriously the dangers in male-segregated schools and
classrooms of stereotyping and the potential pressure to conform to a macho
male image, as noted by Peter Vogel.
I also think it's worthwhile to distinguish between sex as a biological fact
and gender as a social construction. Separating boys and girls is segregation
by sex, not by gender.
K. Cochran
CochranK@aol.com