Same-sex education separate, not equal for all

Most people are, or should be, familiar with Title IX. Implemented in 1972, the law Title IX… Most people are, or should be, familiar with Title IX. Implemented in 1972, the law Title IX was created to end sexual discrimination at schools. One of its main clauses was getting rid of separate classes for boys and girls save for a few gym classes and human sexuality courses. Recently, however, the law was partiality overturned by a No Child Left Behind amendment.

Public schools can now choose to have segregated classrooms as long as it is on a voluntary basis. Supporters of this amendment believe that boys and girls can learn better without the other sex around to be a distraction. Supporters also state that no one should oppose this law since it will be done on a purely voluntary basis. The new amendment, however, creates more questions and problems than it does answers.

If the segregation is done voluntarily, what happens to the one lone student who does not want to be in a same-sex class? While the Department of Education’s press release about the amendment does state that there will also be co-educational classes offered for every segregated one, it does not address the issue of what a school is to do if only a small minority wants a non-segregated class. It is not practical to have a class for five students who want a mixed class — especially in smaller and poorer schools where supplies are limited — and the children may find themselves tossed into a segregated class to save time and money for the school.

Another issue that the amendment overlooks is the idea of gender identity. Where will a child who is physically a boy but who identifies as a girl be sent? Sending the child into a single-sex classroom could be more damaging than allowing her to be around children she is more comfortable with and can identify with. But the No Child Left Behind Act does not give an answer to this situation, and the new regulation does not even go so far as to formally address the issue. It seems that it will be up to the individual school to decide what to do with such children. The rights of transgendered students are currently not at the top of the list for most public schools, so many students may find themselves stuck in a classroom full of children with whom they do not identify.

Separating students on the basis of their sex does not give children a chance to interact with the opposite gender, which could end up with the children having a skewed view of the world. Once they enter the workforce or attend college, they will have to realize that the world outside of school is not segregated. They will be lacking the skills to socialize with the opposite gender. Even if the schools have students interact in other situations such as clubs or sports, the students will still be missing out on the opportunity to work on class projects or other group activities in a co-educational environment that inspires teamwork and cooperation.

And while it is easy to say that the amendment will offer “separate but equal” classes for each sex, it will not be as easy to implement such standards. How will the Department of Education monitor each public school across the nation to ensure that its single-sex classes are being taught equally? While it will be easy to tell whether or not the same classes are being offered to both boys and girls, there is no guarantee that the subject is being taught on the same level. Public schools will have to be closely monitored to make sure that female students are given the identical tests as male students and vice versa. It does not seem the Department of Education, however, is up to such a task.

This amendment is simply a cop-out to the problems plaguing our educational systems. Rather than funneling more money and necessary reforms into the education system, the Department has made this new amendment to give people peace of mind. The education system may be failing, but at least it has hope now that boys and girls are going to be split up. This is merely a sedative to cause parents to ignore all the other difficulties their children will face in school, such as a lack of school supplies or capable teachers.

The new regulations to Title IX also open up the fabled can of worms. The new law was passed due to research that showed girls and boys excelling in single-sex classes while ignoring evidence that showed children excelling in mixed classes. If new research suddenly appeared that showed that different races excelled in separated classes, the Department of Education may have difficulty ignoring the research. Allowing schools to segregate classes on the basis of sex grants groups aiming for different styles of segregation a precedent to stand upon and use in arguments. The Department of Education should be striving to avoid every kind of segregation rather than making a few exceptions.

Email Shannon at slb46@pitt.edu.