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NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICY ANALYSIS
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| Do Single-Sex Classrooms Work in Public Schools? |
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Many educators think separating boys from girls in learning settings reduces distractions and advances educational goals. While many private schools are so segregated, there are only 11 single-sex public schools in the nation.
That may be about to change.
- Under the education bill passed by Congress last year, education secretary Rob Paige is required to issue new guidelines on the legality of single-sex classes under Title IX -- which forbids discrimination on the basis of sex.
- Although the standard legal interpretation of Title IX until now has been that single-sex classrooms are against the law, Paige is reportedly going to rule that such an interpretation is unduly rigid.
- In addition, he is supposed to announce the administration's intent to issue new regulations that will pave the way for more single-sex classrooms in co-ed schools.
- The American Civil Liberties Union is expected to oppose the change, along with some feminist groups -- although feminists are said to have mixed reactions to the topic.
Observers say the most powerful liberal proponent of single-sex schooling is Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) was able to win Clinton's support last year for the provision in the education bill that ordered a review of the same-sex school guidelines.
Source: Editorial, "Boys and Girls at School," Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2002.
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