Single gender boys’ education. Why?

Dr. Alec O’Connell Headmaster

Simplistically, it is very easy for many in the wider community to roll out the old argument that because the world and society is a mix of genders, then schools should reflect society and that offering single gender education is antiquated, nonsensical and unhealthy for a vibrant society.

From a personal perspective, I attended co-educational state and Catholic primary schools in the UK and WA then spent my high school years in an all-boys school which suddenly became co-ed at Year 11. Later in life, my son and daughter attended our local Catholic co-ed college and both of my children loved their schooling. However, this article is not a comparative between schools, it is simply a reflection on why we should ensure that there is educational choice including single gender boys’ and girls’ schools, and co-education.

As the Headmaster of a high-profile boys’ school, ‘why a boys’ single gender education’?

is rightly an ever-recurring question posed to me by colleagues, friends, family, and of more immediate importance, current and future parents. Of course, let’s not exclude the interest of the press in debating the value of a boys-only education whenever an incident occurs involving boys, thus making good reading and supporting rationale for any of the anti-single gender movement.

In my view, never has it been more important to enunciate why a liberal, single gender education for boys still has a significant role to play for the educational and personal development of young boys who will hopefully become good young men. Celia Lashlie’s book title He’ll be OK – Growing gorgeous boys into good men encapsulates the why and the challenge, and what we can really achieve in an all-boys’ setting.

Before proceeding further, let me make it clear that we can always do better in boys’ schools and that complacency is never an option when one considers such important matters as consent and respect. It applies not only to dealing with the opposite sex, but to all of humanity, whatever their views, orientation, or position in life. In January 2023 in London, at the Round Square consortium of schools from across the globe, I presented on the topic ‘Consent, Respect and Bystander Intervention’, focussing on how a boys’ school addresses this matter and why it is so important that we continue to work on educating our boys in this critical space.

At Scotch we are currently finalising our next strategic plan, and as part of our review, there was significant discussion about whether we should change some of the wording in our mission statement from ‘To develop young men’ … to ‘develop young people’. In the current climate it would have been easy to acquiesce and change this to avoid any mainstream negative feedback. However, after much deliberation we came to a simple position that we are a boys’ school and that in no way should we shy away from this. In fact, on the contrary, we should proudly promote that boys’ education is what we specialise in and that we are loud and proud of what we do for boys, and in turn what they achieve as they move through our academic and pastoral programmes.

As recently as July 2023, I attended the International Boys School Coalition (IBSC) in Auckland NZ, which further reaffirmed my conviction towards our role in the development of young boys who will become good men. Lashlie (2007) suggested some questions that needed to be asked when educating boys, thus providing a focus to enunciate why a boys’ only school is worthwhile:

What does manhood involve?

How does a boy become a man?

What role should men play themselves in a position of leadership within a male environment in bringing boys across the bridge of adolescence?

With these questions in mind, we can then ask what can a boys’ only school do to address these questions?

From a philosophical perspective, we are very committed at Scotch to delivering a world class boys’ education. However, we must consciously focus on how we can make a discernible and measurable impact, and what we should do to ensure a single gender education makes a difference in today’s world.

As a College we should continue to:

• Focus on building a sense of pride in being male, while still working with those boys and their families who may feel challenged by this concept. As we know some may commence enrolled at a boys’ school, and then identify otherwise as they progress.

It is imperative that we help these young men, and their families work through all issues. However, it does not mean that as a college we must feel pressure to move away from our foundational establishment and commitment to enrolling and educating boys.

• Ensure that we have a balance of male and female teaching and non-teaching staff who get boys and consciously choose to work with boys.

• Pay particular focus to what matters and what are age-appropriate strategies at the different stages of development for boys. This is why at Scotch we run three sub-schools.

• Identify and focus on issues that are of genuine concern and relevance to boys and that create an environment that is geared to explore emotions in a male context.

• Ensure that our boys understand that they do not have to focus on their external appearance only to impress someone else. Authenticity of character is more important.

• Provide an environment where being shown up or made to look immature in front of the opposite gender is not an option.

• Focus on designing and laying out the school, to cater for physical activity and the needs of boys. This is why our two most significant new facilities have large open corridors and expansive internal visibility.

In response to an article in the Washington Post in July 2023, Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness by columnist Christine Emba, Mr Tom Batty, Executive Director, International Boys’ Schools Coalition, and a valued colleague, had this to say about boys’ schools.

“Boys’ schools work intentionally for the needs of boys during key times of development. In and out of class, boys’ schools can take time to provide experiences that build the relationships, respect, and trust on which boys thrive. They can find the time to run activities and nurture the stories upon which boys hang their learning. They can take the time to know each boy, unearth passions, hone mastery, and guide him to choose engagement with, rather than separation from, learning. They can take time to steer recruitment and professional development towards staff skilled in learning relationships and the development of boys. Such factors have always been central to the education of boys. In an environment where education and “success” are increasingly premised on a content/test/ qualification format, schools are increasingly struggling to find the time and provide the care boys need. The gap widens.

In short, boys’ schools can, with intent and for each boy, take time to develop programmes that unearth passions and hone mastery across a broad landscape, so that being interested in things and aspiring to get good at them become habits for life.”

As I said earlier in this article, it is important that current and future families hold us to account and continue to ask us why a boys’ only education and furthermore, how do we ensure that our boys are educated and exposed to experiences both inside and outside of the classroom, which contribute to their growth and development on a personalised journey towards becoming good men.

As alluded to earlier, staffing will always be our key to success. Much has been written and spoken about schools and teaching regarding a change of delivery since the initial impact of COVID. No matter how we dissect what makes a successful school, the teacher remains a seminal piece of any success. In his book Bush School a simple recall of his life as a graduate teacher working in a one-person school, Peter O’Brien captures the essence of why teachers will continue to make a difference.

“Good teachers model the best of human behaviours of kindness, inclusion, sensitive engagement and caring. They respond to kids by sustaining, enabling, and valuing each child to ensure they can enjoy being who they are, love the life they lead and embrace whom they might become. Children need human contact, human support and guidance, and human affirmation. Teachers are indispensable and always will be.”

To be a successful single gender boys’ school we must continue to seek out leaders and teachers who are committed to working with boys.

There is no end point to success, only a step along a continual improvement continuum –this is our challenge. We must be comfortable in the knowledge that like everything we do at Scotch, delivering a world class education for our boys requires focus and meaning with deliberately planned learning and personal experiences focussed on boys.

If we continue to do this, Scotch will continue to graduate good men who we will make a difference to not only today’s society, but our future society as it evolves across the ensuing years.