Boys and girls

There was an article in the Sydney Morning Herald the other day regarding Same Sex classes at school and how both boys and girls are more likely to excel academically if they are taught in sex segregated classes. This may be so (due to lack of distraction by members of the opposite sex), but I think this development is not a good one.

For mine, boys and girls need to be bought into contact a lot earlier than the University or workforce years. Now I am not talking about sexual relations (most boys and girls have that covered during the mid to late teens). I am talking about non-sexual relationships. Viewing girls as collaborators, competitors and friends.

Schools aren’t just for academic performance. The ability to think, time management skills, team building skills and communication with both authority and peers are skills that are taught, often sub consciencely in the school yard. How to make friends and influence people if you will. These are skills that are useful in workplaces. Now as workforces are co-ed, I think the skills taught should be experienced in a similar environment.

For a lot of boys born without a sister, the only exposure they have had with the opposite sex before uni or the workforce is through their mothers, teachers or girlfriends. These three personas of women are important in a male’s life, but for quality relations with women, more variety and exposure to females should be required before they hit adulthood. They need female role models and empathy to the female condition. The only places to pick up these things are in the classroom.

And on the reverse side of things, girls need exposure to boys. They need to be comfortable around men, respond to the verbal jargon.They need to learn how to be competitive without using intimidation. They need to work out why men do the things they do.

If you want to break down barriers to women in the workforce, or lower the rates of sexual harassment, you need adult males who see women as more than sexual objects or mothers.

Understanding women is a life long endeavour, and probably one that I never accomplish, but the goat thinks that the boys get a head start the first time a girl gives you a weird look at school.