The view of supporting mixed school education is that students should be educated and grown in a simulated school environment. (Photo of New Express Australia)
The merger of boys' and girls' schools
A 57-year-old Australian public school for girls will be merged with another local school for boys. The move, announced Tuesday, ushered in a lot of heated debate, mixed reactions, feeling complex. With regard to the educational model and characteristics of Australian girls' schools, boys' schools and mixed schools (co-educational schools), all sectors have been concerned and have their own views.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that two single-sex public schools in Tasmania —— the Ogilvy Women's Public Middle School (Ogilvie High School) and the New Town Men's Public Middle School (New Town High School) will be merged into co-educational schools in 2022.
Some people are uneasy about this, some worry that the tradition of the two schools may be damaged, some people think that this is in line with the trend of development, but also the needs of social reality......
This also means that in Tasmania, with the exception of private schools, the public education system will not have single-sex schools after the merger.
Ogilvy is currently the only public girls' school in Tasmania. Some girls lament the end of 57 years of girls' school history. Some of the alumni of the girls' secondary school hope that attention to girls' outstanding education will remain.
Ogilvy Women's Public Secondary School (ABC)
What do boys and girls think of school?
Ogilvy Women's Public Secondary School, New Town Men's Public Secondary School and the downtown Elizabeth College (Elizabeth College) are scheduled to merge into one school, distributed in three campuses.
There are currently 640 students at Ogilvy Girls' Middle School and nearly 700 students at New Town Men's Secondary School. Elizabeth College (Elizabeth College) is a mixed school with 444 boys and 515 girls in 2019.
Ogilvy Girls' Middle School was founded in 1937, then called Xincheng Commercial Middle School (New City Commercial High School), which also receives boys and girls. It became a girls' school in 1963, when the starting point was to ensure that girls in the public education system had access to single-sex education.
"For me, this may not be what I really want, because I feel comfortable with all the girls ," said some girls at Ogilvy Girls' Middle School. "
Another girl said :" I think only girls are more active because at this age we are a little nervous about the opposite sex. "
At the same time, the decision was endorsed and welcomed by many boys, the decision was endorsed and welcomed by many boys.
"It sounds exciting, fun, new friends and a whole new environment ," a boy said.
"I think it's really, really, really great. It reflects the reality of society, which should happen ," another boy said.
Ogilvy Girls' Middle School is the only public girls' school in the state, pictured in Hobart. (Web Images)
Complicated emotions of parents
The merger means that some local parents who want their children to be single-sexed will have to consider turning to private schools.
Some in the community welcomed the merger of boys' and girls' schools into mixed schools, while others questioned the benefits of the merger.
Some parents expressed concerns about the merger on social media.
"Both schools are doing well in academic and sports, and there seems to be no reason to do so ," some parents said.
Some parents expressed dissatisfaction and disappointment that they themselves had attended Ogilvy Girls' Middle School and hoped that their daughters would continue the family tradition.
"Not every family can afford children to go to private schools. What options do we have? "Some parents say so.
Some parents support that children had better adapt to life outside school, the real society is male and female. Some parents believe that this can promote the interaction of boys and girls, better use of school facilities.
New Town Men's Middle School. (Photo of School Website)
Views of the principals of the two schools
Grove (Duncan Groves), president of Ogilvy Girls' Middle School, believes the school's students can accept the challenge.
"I think girls have a good chance to express themselves in co-educational settings and become stronger, just as they do in other aspects of their lives ," he said. "
He admitted that it would bring complex emotions to the school community. "Some will welcome the change and the opportunities it brings to students; but in the Hobart community, Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania, there will still be some who feel sad and frustrated that Hobart has lost a single-sex school. "
Gill patrick (Dave Kilpatrick), president of the new town's men's secondary school, said that single-sex classes were a possibility in the future model.
"If it makes more sense for girls to take physical education on their own or for boys to take physical education on their own, it could be part of the curriculum ," he said. "
A report commissioned by the government reportedly outlines trends across Australia to increase efforts to promote learning between boys and girls. (Photo of Table 7)
Announcing the decision to merge the two schools, Tasmanian Director of Education, Jeremy Rockliff, said more than 90 percent of the Great Hobart community consulted supported the decision.
This, he said, would relieve the pressure on another high school in Tazhou to outstrip supply and eliminate the need for expensive new central schools.
A report commissioned by the government outlined trends across Australia to increase efforts to promote learning between boys and girls.
The report mentions that girls' schools are "still considered useful in terms of confidence and participation ", but the trend is" parents seek co-education options for their boys ".
A local government has been allocated in the 2020-21 budget to develop a master plan to determine how the existing buildings and infrastructure in the three schools will be used.
The view of supporting mixed school education is that students should be educated and grown in a simulated school environment. (Photo of New Express Australia)
What do education experts say?
Gill (Judith Gill), associate professor at the University of South Australia's School of Education, said the long-held view that girls were better suited to girls' schools was outdated.
"If you asked me this 50 years ago, I would not hesitate to say that in Australia, single-sex schools are obviously more suitable for girls ," Gill said.
However, times have changed, the way our societies operate and the way young people understand their roles have changed considerably. "Today many girls like to study with boys ," said the Adelaide scholar. After all, we will see them enter the world after graduation, where girls may be placed in managerial positions responsible for men and women. So in a single-sex environment, more understanding of each other seems to be often ignored or forgotten. "
The president of the Tasmanian State School Organization Association (Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations), Di Carson (Jared Dickason), said the right thing to do was to merge two schools instead of building a new one. "At the end of the day, that's all the money we can invest in education. If we continue to spend money on Daxing, do we really spend money on education? "
The view of supporting mixed school education is that students should be educated and grown in a simulated school environment. (Photo of New Express Australia)
Views on girls' and mixed schools
In Australia, the educational community and the public have always had their own views on the advantages and characteristics of single-sex (boys' and girls') education and coeducational education.
In support of the single-sex education perspective, the existence of a social and cultural environment free from gender stereotypes and gender discrimination has a positive impact on the development of skills conducive to leadership, self-confidence and success in life for girls. Girls' schools provide an environment where girls are not bound by stereotypes. Moreover, the curriculum of single-sex education is more targeted; in addition, students, whether in class or in activities, can be more relaxed and committed, and can more fully demonstrate their talents and abilities in all aspects.
However, support for mixed-school education suggests that inclusive education should be introduced and students should be educated and raised in a simulated school environment, which will prepare children for the future into a real society; and, just as there is no acceptance of segregated education based on social economic status, race or culture, there should be no gender-based segregation.
Support for girls' education was expressed for the view that the environment of girls' schools was more suitable for girls' growth and potential. (Image of Sydney Morning Herald)
Single sex school
For which school model has more advantages, all parties have views and basis.
In April, the Australian Times website published the same day two educators' views on mixed schools and single sex schools. They are Bridge (Loren Bridge), director of the alliance of Australasia Girls' School, and Higgham (Leanne Higham), a lecturer in education at the University of Ledrabo, Australia (formerly the University of La Trobe).
Bridge explains why a single sex school should be chosen, especially girls' school.
"In girls' schools, every aspect of teaching and learning is tailored for girls, and every plan for well-being, healthy development, leadership and learning caters to the needs of girls, which purposefully builds their confidence and enables them to pursue any direction guided by their talents ," she said. "
"It is important to know that coeducational schools also reproduce a world in which women are not yet equal. where gender stereotypes are reinforced and girls' voices are often ignored. "
"positively side can be found in every type of education, but for girls in single-sex schools there is much more positively side.
Quite a mix of educators
As a member of the mixed school group, education lecturer Higgham at Ledrabo University believes co-educational schools better reflect the social conditions in which people live. & quot; co-educational schools are more likely to reflect the diversity of liberal democratic societies in which we live. In this society, we value inclusiveness and social cohesion rather than growing polarization and division. & quot;
Higgham believes that we have been learning how the syllabus develops students' moral abilities to explore what a good life means to individuals and society. How can we seek to develop compassion and understanding for others and the importance of supporting diversity for a cohesive community? What it does to build understanding of how relationship develop and how to build and maintain relationship? of mutual respect How can we really cultivate our students to develop these values and attributes when we to develop these values and attributes?
