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Parents are faced with many choices when it comes to their child’s education.
Decisions can include whether to start them in formal education or keep them in play-based learning for one more year.
Some studies have shown that delaying can be a little beneficial at some stages, but the differences aren’t significant enough to override the importance of making a choice that best suits the individual child.
SINGLE-SEX SCHOOLS
The data shows that girls are far more likely to enrol in science subjects as well as more advanced maths classes during their senior years than their co-ed counterparts.
This was the finding of a Monash University study that had been commissioned by the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia (AGSA).
AGSA president Ros Curtis said in a statement: “This research confirms that, in an all-girls learning environment free from gender bias or social pressure, girls thrive in what have been traditionally regarded as male-dominated subjects.”
Further explaining the reasons for these results, in the same statement AGSA executive officer Loren Bridge said: “An all-girls learning environment provides the motivation, self-belief and resilience for girls to feel confident about their abilities in maths and science, they are more assertive, willing to take risks, ask questions and make mistakes.”
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BOARDING STUDENTS DO AS WELL OR BETTER
Then there’s another choice to make, and that is the option of enrolling in a boarding school.
Studies show girls are far more likely to pursue advanced maths and science at a single-sex school, and that boarders do just as well or better than day students.
Brad Papworth’s PhD thesis at the University of Sydney in 2015 found that boarders do just as well, if not a little better, than day students at the exact same schools.
His abstract opened by saying: “Attending boarding school has long been a part of the educational culture in Australia. For a significant number of students, boarding is a necessity due to distance from suitable schools or potential lack of resources in remote or regional areas. For other students, attending boarding school represents a choice and access to greater educational resources.”
Having surveyed students at 12 Australian schools over a two-year period, and accounted for socioeconomic and other factors, the data “showed general parity in outcomes between day and boarding students; however, where significant effects emerged, they tended to favour boarders.”
Importantly, the outcomes assessed for the thesis were academic and non-academic, including life satisfaction, interpersonal relationships, and self-esteem.