The Advantages of an All-Boys School

Boys whispering in class

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Every parent wants their child to succeed, and sometimes we need to think outside the box to find the perfect path to that success. That path may be one that requires the family to look outside of the traditional public school realm to find an ideal learning environment where a child can succeed. For some boys, a traditional classroom model can provide distractions and create unnecessary challenges as they are learning. That is why some families have chosen to enroll their sons in private all-boys schools as opposed to the more traditional coed school.

The Freedom to Be Himself

Boys often thrive in a single-sex academic setting for many reasons, ranging from academics to athletics and even social environments. With no girls to impress, boys can get on with being themselves. Conformity gives way to individuality, and boys are expected to fill all the roles on campus. There are no gender stereotypes at a single-sex school, allowing the boys to feel free to explore subjects like languages and the arts without fear of ridicule. Even sexual stereotypes tend to fade into the background; you'd be surprised that macho posturing can even yield sensitive dialog.

Boys and Girls Are Not the Same

Boys and girls are quite different people. Educating boys and girls in single-sex settings is not an assault on equal rights. Many believe that it is an opportunity that ultimately will enhance equality by allowing boys and girls to develop their own unique characters.

For example, take boys and the arts. America has traditionally been a sports dominated society. Boys are taught to be jocks from birth. Sports equate with manliness. In addition, American sports teaches boys to win at all costs. Boys learn that message, then go on to apply it in their adult lives, many times with disastrous results.

The divide between jocks and geeks grows as children reach adolescence. A boy who wants to play the violin or be a painter runs counter to what society expects him to be doing. Being artistic was considered unmanly. Then and now. If you are not a jock, you are a geek. In American coed schools, jocks and geeks don't mix. You are labeled as one or the other.

Different Learning Styles

Science has proven that each gender learns in a different manner, accelerating at different rates of learning with varying ability to process the information being presented. Teachers have mastered techniques that are tailored to meet the needs of each gender, and a single-sex school allows for those techniques to be used to their fullest potential. 

Opportunity and Expectation to Try New Things

A single-sex school allows boys to explore subjects and activities that they may never have considered at a coed school. Boys are expected to fill all the roles within the school, from class officers and student leaders to actors and artists, there is no room for gender stereotypes in an all-boys' school. One area that some boys may feel hesitant to explore includes the arts. Visual art, drama, and music are instead made available to students, without fear of judgment from their peers. A boys' school develops a boy's uniqueness and individuality. Teachers in a boys' school can teach effectively in ways that reach boys and appeal to their learning style.

Visit a boys' school. Talk to graduates and current students. Find out more about the advantages of attending a boys' school. It's a terrific choice for many young men.

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Kennedy, Robert. "The Advantages of an All-Boys School." ThoughtCo, Jul. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/the-advantages-of-a-boys-school-2774629. Kennedy, Robert. (2021, July 31). The Advantages of an All-Boys School. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-advantages-of-a-boys-school-2774629 Kennedy, Robert. "The Advantages of an All-Boys School." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-advantages-of-a-boys-school-2774629 (accessed March 28, 2024).