The old school debate of co-education vs same-sex schools has risen in the office. This week Cassie and Liz both weigh in with their views. First to give her opinion is Cassie.
I witnessed many a first kiss in the overgrowth behind the tarmac playground of St. Colmcille’s Primary School. We were in sixth class, all approaching 12 years of age and naturally partnerships (usually dictated by height) formed between the boys and girls. I remember mine vividly. Someone counted down from five and we half head-butted, half-kissed and were fully void of any romance. We dated for months after although the extent of our courtship was generally the odd group cinema trip and a walk home from school together. We all moved on to secondary school together and while our first loves failed to last the pressures of the junior cert cycle, we maintained great friendships.
From playschool all the way through to university I went to co-ed schools. In fact, I think I’ve rarely even set foot in a same-sex school unless it was during the debating league that my mixed-team rose to fame in.
The debate in favour of same-sex schools is generally that the lack of the largely distracting opposite sex increases focus and students perform better. Well, I can categorically say that at no point in my academic journey did the fluctuating interest in the opposite sex ever affect my studies. I think, theoretically, it’s a fair point. In theory, boys and girls together equates to romance and sexual activity etc. In theory, the air is so laden with testosterone and estrogen that the halls of the mixed school must resemble an episode of Skins. In theory, we were too distracted by the potential of a date to concentrate on our studies.
But in reality it was a different story. We too, like our same-sex school peers, rolled out of bed as late as possible, only shaved our knees and cared more about keeping warm in winter than we did about attracting the boys. In reality, our awkward phases coincided with our studies and the boys were rapidly friend-zoned (and vice versa).
The advantages of co-education are immeasurable. Firstly, there was an environment vacant of gender stereotypes. The boys studied Home Economics and the girls tried everything from Metal Work to Wood Joinery. Yes the girls were in the minority in Leaving Cert Physics but that’s less to do with gender roles and more to do with the vast array of subjects that were available for us to choose from. The captain of our hurling team was also the lead in the musical (the original GLEE). We were encouraged to try everything and as we did we learned to co-operate as people and as friends.
Of course relationships formed. There were heartbreaks and scandals and fights in the corridors. Guys were bagsied and friendships were strained when those ties were broken. But when the hype subsided we were always left with hilarious stories, great friends and a sense of ease. Some of the relationships that formed in those corridors and that overgrowth are actually still going strong and they’re starting to pop out kids that will no doubt go to the same school and live a life akin to a Cecila Ahern novel.
Some of my best friends are still the boys from school and boys I subsequently met in college and later in life. I learned many things in my co-ed schools but I think the most important was probably to treat everyone the same. Yes boys are weird and smelly sometimes but fundamentally we are all the same. All awkward, all students and all friends.
Despite all the hormones and lust that must have been flying through the air.
