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Single-Sex and Co-Educational Schooling Attainment Was Not Dale’S Only, Or Perhaps Even His Have Focussed Primarily on Aspects of Academic Central, Concern

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Single-Sex and Co-Educational Schooling Attainment Was Not Dale’S Only, Or Perhaps Even His Have Focussed Primarily on Aspects of Academic Central, Concern Longitudinal and Life Course Studies 2012 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pp 137 - 156 ISSN 1757-9597 Single-sex and co-educational secondary schooling: what are the social and family outcomes, in the short and longer term? Alice Sullivan [email protected] Heather Joshi Diana Leonard Institute of Education, University of London (Received February 2011 Revised September 2011) Abstract This paper considers the question of whether attending a single-sex or co-educational secondary school made any difference to a range of social outcomes for girls and boys at school, and for men and women as they progressed through the life course. We examine these questions using data from a large and nationally representative sample of British respondents born in 1958. The outcomes examined include whether or not the participants liked school; their histories of partnership formation and dissolution; childbearing; attitudes to gender roles; and well-being. Among the minority of outcomes showing a significant link to attending a single sex school were lower truancy, and for males, dislike of school, divorce, and malaise at 42 (if they had been to private or grammar schools). Introduction The vast majority of research papers which have communicated to them, and boys were spurred on by been published on the question of the respective competition with the girls. However, academic merits of single-sex and co-educational schooling attainment was not Dale’s only, or perhaps even his have focussed primarily on aspects of academic central, concern. He was interested in relationships attainment. This paper seeks to redress the between the sexes, and in promoting what he saw as imbalance by asking whether single-sex and co- ‘healthy’ relationships. In Dale’s view, mixed-sex educational secondary schooling were linked to a schooling was more ‘natural’ and provided protection range of social outcomes, both during adolescence, against homosexuality. He presented evidence and later in the life course. suggesting that boys and girls in mixed schools had The UK has a long history of single-sex education, more positive and friendly attitudes towards one and of debates around the issue of whether mixed or another, and that as adults they were more likely to single-sex schooling is better. Traditionally, British believe in the equality of the sexes and to have secondary schools were single-sex. However, the happier marriages than graduates of single-sex progressive school movement in the early 20th schools. Much of this evidence was based on selected century and Dale’s later influential work (Dale 1969, open-ended responses and there was no claim that Dale 1971, Dale 1974) both stressed the advantages the survey was representative. A study by Atherton of boys being educated with girls. Dale argued that (1973), using retrospective data, also suggested that boys did better academically in mixed schools, men and women who had attended co-educational because girls’ greater industriousness was schools had happier marriages. 137 Alice Sullivan, Heather Joshi, Diana Leonard Single sex and co-educational secondary schooling etc While we do not share Dale’s ‘normalising’ of As far as we are aware, no previous studies have heterosexuality and denigration of singlehood and examined the general well-being or mental health of child-free living, his work does suggest interesting children at single-sex or co-educational schools, or of areas to explore regarding the effects of co-education adults, according to whether they attended single-sex in encouraging more friendly and egalitarian attitudes or co-educational schools. between the sexes and in terms of ‘successful family Family formation is another area that has been formation’, as does other work on the history of neglected by researchers. This is surprising in that concern with single-sex schooling and homosexuality family formation is often central to the arguments (see Faraday 1989). Dale’s focus on happiness and used by both sides in the single-sex debate. In relationships within the school is also something that particular, religious adherents of single-sex schooling, could usefully be revived by researchers. whether Catholic, Muslim, or from other traditions, In the current policy context, both in the UK and are often concerned with (female) purity, and link the in other Anglophone countries, there has been a danger of promiscuity and teenage pregnancy to co- revival of interest in single-sex groupings within educational schooling. Feminists have also been mixed schools, largely driven by the moral panic troubled by the toleration of sexual harassment about boys’ ‘underperformance’ compared to girls in within co-educational schools. Conversely, terms of academic attainment (Warrington and proponents of co-educational schooling have hinted Younger 2003, Younger and Warrington 2006). There darkly that single-sex schooling promotes is an interesting tension between the perception that homosexuality; though this is linked particularly to girls and girl-friendly pedagogy are holding boys back, the elite boarding schools (Lambert and Millham and therefore boys would be better off being taught 1968). Yet reviews of studies of single-sex and co- separately, and the familiar view that girls are a educational schooling have found an absence of ‘civilising influence’ to be exploited for the benefit of studies addressing the issues of teenage pregnancy or the boys (Ivinson and Murphy 2007). At the same childbearing at any age, sexuality, partnerships and time, girls’ schools continue to be relatively popular marriage (Mael et al 2005, Mael 1998). with parents, while boys’ schools are struggling to It has been suggested that attitudes to gender survive in the quasi-market within the state system, equality may be affected by single-sex schooling. and many boys’ schools within the private sector are This can be argued either way. Co-educational going mixed. Parents who choose single-sex schooling schooling may lead to more egalitarian for their daughters invoke a range of discourses, and relationships, as argued by Dale. Alternatively, boys raise diverse issues including equal opportunities and may assert their dominance in co-educational anxieties regarding female sexuality, while the settings, perhaps with lasting consequences for the parents of boys often perceive co-educational confidence of the girls (Spender and Sarah 1980). schooling as a positive socialising force (Ball and Feminists have also argued that girls in single-sex Gewirtz, 1997). The social, rather than purely schools are exposed to more women in positions of academic, aims of schooling are often invoked both leadership, which may affect their attitudes to by the supporters and by the opponents of single-sex gender roles. Yet we are not aware of any studies schooling, yet this is an area where strong opinions which examine adult attitudes to gender roles, or thrive in the absence of much evidence. the quality of relationships between the sexes, although one past study in the US examines the Literature incidence of divorce, and found no difference in the A few studies have examined students’ attitudes likelihood of remaining married to the first spouse towards school and delinquency at school (Brutsaert for either men or women according to whether 2006, Caspi 1995, Caspi et al 1993, Lee and Bryk 1986, they had attended single-sex high schools (Riordan Marsh 1989, Marsh 1991). However, no clear 1990). consensus emerges from this literature, partly because This article reports on a wide-ranging study into of the diverse range of outcome variables considered. the lifecourse consequences of single-sex schooling. Elsewhere, we have reported on the educational and 138 Alice Sullivan, Heather Joshi, Diana Leonard Single sex and co-educational secondary schooling etc economic consequences of single-sex schooling 2. Mental health in adulthood (Sullivan 2009, Sullivan, Joshi and Leonard 2010, Respondents’ scores on Rutter’s malaise Sullivan, Joshi and Leonard 2011). In the current inventory (Rutter et al 1970): advocates of co- paper, we seek to make a substantial contribution to educational schooling suggest that single-sex the neglected question of whether there are social schooling can cause psychological damage, consequences for individuals of attending single-sex which suggests the hypothesis that people who or co-educational schools. As such, we cover a large have attended single-sex schools should have amount of ground, summarising results regarding a higher malaise scores. We look at the self- range of outcomes, rather than restricting our focus reported measure taken at age 42. to a particular area or age-range. The dataset used in the current study has 3. Family formation and relationships important advantages in addressing these questions. a. Having a child at all (by age 42): if co- First of all, it allows us to address the issue of educational schooling facilitates comparing like with like. Single-sex schooling was relationships between the sexes, this quite common for the British cohort born in 1958, suggests the hypothesis that childbearing rather than being the preserve of a particular social or should be less likely for people who religious group. In addition, our rich longitudinal data attended single-sex schools. allows us to control for a wide range of characteristics b. Teenage childbearing: some advocates of of the children prior to their entry to secondary single-sex schooling argue that co- school. Furthermore, we are able to examine the educational schooling encourages early responses of this cohort, not only during their school sexual activity. This suggests the hypothesis years, but also into their middle-age. that the risk of teenage childbearing should be lower at single-sex schools. Research Questions c. Age at first birth: as per 3a, this suggests the We examine whether single-sex or co-educational hypothesis that childbearing should be schooling is linked to a wide range of outcomes both delayed for people who have attended during adolescence and later in life.
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