This article in the L.A. Times describes Young Oak Kim Academy’s foray into single-sex schooling. The public middle school has separate classes for boys and girls. Teachers use different methods to teach the two groups, corresponding to what they believe are the innate characteristics of the sexes:
“Boys are impulsive,” said science teacher Shambo Lerer. “Their hands go straight up. They ask questions like, ‘What happens if a planet explodes?’ “
Girls, according to Lerer, are more inclined toward creative projects and collaborative work.
I would be unhappy if students everywhere were confined by these stereotypes. In the context of a single choice school, however, the generalizations are OK. Parents of children who fit these descriptions will find the school to be perfectly suited to their kids’ personalities. Parents who don’t agree with the school’s conclusions can send their children elsewhere.
