Single-sex lunches benefit school children

Reuters ^ | March 10, 2011 | Kevin Murphy

[TopQuark]

Kansas City, Missouri (Reuters) – Single-sex lunches introduced in three schools in America's heartland have helped to reduce misbehavior among students and improve eating habits, authorities said.

The Wichita, Kansas middle schools, for students aged 11 to 14 years old, started the separate lunches for boys and girls to reduce teasing, rough-housing and flirting.

"The girls really seem to like it because they get their girl time without having to worry about boys," said Michael Archibeque, principal at Pleasant Valley Middle School. "And the boys don't show off for the girls. I think it's the perfect age for this."

[captbarney]

Not absolutely correct. 60 years ago JHS’s, in NYC, were single sex and a good number of HS’s also were single sex. The single sex schools began to go co-ed in the 60’s and the last was in 1972

[DoughtyOne]

The whole concept seems to be focused on the problematic boys too.

If you’re separated from the boys for twelve years since they aren’t capable of social maturity, how do you leave that environment not seeing men in a negative light?

Perhaps I’m making too much of this. It doesn’t seem healthy to me, if we looking to produce men and women who can deal with each other in an adult reasoned manner.

[captbarney]

my correction- JHS’s were made co-ed in the 50’s and the single sex HS’s started to turn in the 60’s

[TopQuark]

become a natural born outlaw who doesn’t give a damn about authority. They were jerks. Forever and a day, they were jerks.

Reading this made me sad, Richard. It's a part of the process of maturation to reconsider perceptions we've hastily formed when we were young. Looks like you've left those unattended for a long time.

[Richard Kimball]

Oh, and Anna’s legs. And Debbie’s. Actually, there were two Debbie’s, Debbie S. and Debbie D.

[wbill]

a natural born outlaw who doesn’t give a damn about authority

Pleasure meetin' you.

My teachers had different names, but were the same.

*I* learned that if you put small people in positions of authority, then they tend to abuse it to the limits of their power or ability, whichever runs out first.

I also learned that it's much, much easier just not to deal with them at all. Mostly, they're just too lazy, unmotivated, or self-absorbed to care, so I just go around them.

I also developed a healthy respect for those that have *real* power. Generally, if someone has it, they don't need to spend time flaunting it. :-)

[a fool in paradise]

Homosexuals do this as well.

[Wuli]

The issue, getting immature children well educated is not an issue about “men” and “women” or segregation of adults for religious reasons, nor is it about training children that they should be segregated for religious reasons.

[Luke21]

The headline is a loaded opinion from one of the water carriers for political correctness religion.

Socialization between the sexes has to occur somewhere. This reeks of second wave feminism.

[wbill]

Oh, I dunno. I still dislike Mrs Stewart, who told me that with my attitude, I'd never amount to anything. A miserable woman, the last I heard she was working on divorce #4, that was 10 years ago, who knows what # she's on now....

Or Mrs Potter, who assigned me a project on Gettysburg. I was interested in subject and Dad had an extensive military library, so I took to it with a will. She failed me because she couldn't conceive of someone writing such a good paper in the 11th grade. Figured that I'd copied it from somewhere.

There were a few more doozies.... one drank "coffee" all day, and usually slept through the first 2-3 periods..... another guy had girls refuse to take detentions with him because his hands roamed around too much.... There were all the usual misfits, that I'd still bear a healthy dislike for, even now as an adult.

But, in the long run, it worked out pretty well for me. Taught me that those in power don't always have all the answers, and that those who are genuinely interested in finding the answers (like me) can make a pretty good living figuring things out. :-)

[Peet]

Ah yes, the scourge of stinky booger-brained boys...

[Richard Kimball]

I appreciate the kind thoughts, but I have re-evaluated them as an older person and as a person who teaches, and yeah, they were jerks. I still have fond memories of Coach Amik, and went to his funeral last year. I was a terrible football player, but he always kept trying to teach me. I loved that man. The ones I mentioned as being jerks, well, I could tell you stories, but I don’t like to dwell on those people.

[Prokopton]

You may disagree with me, but this is a scenario where boys and girls don’t get much face time in social settings until after high school

I don't agree with you because I experienced it myself. I had a significant number of dates with girls when I was in an all male High School, and I was with girls, at least for sometime, almost every day in the summer.

I don't think you have to worry about boys and girls "finding" each other, regardless of what type of school they attend.

[DoughtyOne]

Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate it.

[TopQuark]

Since it was you, not I, who lived through those experiences, I trust your evaluation completely. But perhaps, just perhaps, these people and distant events occupy too much space in your memory? Whatever the case may be, please don't read my words as any attempt to pass judgment: your life is what it is, and you are the best expert to evaluate it.

Regards, TQ.