Katherine Kersten's Korner

It's Monday once again, and that means another Katherine Kersten's Korner. Today's kolumn is about single-sex classes in public schools.

Wingnuttia level: 2 (Beware of hidden agendas)

It's not much of a secret that boys are lagging behind in school. They don't read as well, they don't go on to college like girls do, and they are more likely to get into trouble. I think Kersten gets a backhanded slap at feminists who spent all their time worrying about girls and not paying attention to boys; a lot of conservatives, mainly conservative women, seem to have this refrain. Nevertheless, the gender gap is real, and it needs to be addressed.

Single-sex classes have shown benefits for both boys and girls, so I really don't see any reason why they are a bad idea. If it works, it works.

That doesn't mean that the pendulum should swing back in the other direction so that girls are once again ignored. Girls have their own set of special circumstances that no boys ever have to deal with, and schools need to continue to keep that in mind. There's no reason to shortchange any student.