Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
UG Educator proposes separate schools for boys and girls
“We need to reconsider whether we need at least one or two boy schools and girl schools in this country.” This was the sentiment shared by Dr. Barbara Reynolds, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Planning of International Engagement, of
Deputy Vice Chancellor of UG, Dr. Barbara Reynolds
the University of Guyana.
“Not remand schools,” she explained.
She told a gathering of women’s rights activists, parliamentarians and civil society members that perhaps not all children might be able to fully explore their academic capabilities and talents by studying in a co-education institution.
“I am a fan of Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, but I don’t think that every school in the country can be co-ed and we get away with it,” Dr. Reynolds said.
She explained that the growth between men and women, girls and boys are different, and that there should be separate schools that cater to their uniqueness.
“…Schools that enhances the trajectory…the natural, biological, emotional, intellection, and developmental trajectories, that are different between boys and girls.”
Dr. Reynolds went further to say, “We know that boys mature later than girls and when they get locked in a cycle of failing while their female classmates succeed, they are going to exit school, because they don’t want to fail. They are not ready yet to learn.”
Dr. Reynolds told the attendees of a Women’s Roundtable Discussion to commemorate International Women’s Day, that she is fully cognizant of the fact that her view to have separate gender schools does not “come over very, very well.”
She is of the strong belief however, that the all boys schools in particular, will help in keeping more young men in school, and therefore, reduce the dropout figures among males.
“I know from talking to men, that they clock out if they are seeming to fail…not because they don’t have a good brain, but because they are consumed with football, or swimming, or whatever.”
The University of Guyana official went further to explain, “I know that when we were kids, we used to be amazed at the QC (Queen’s College) boys. They would fool around and fool around and then they ended up with more ‘O’ Level passes than we did. Why? Because their lifecycle has a different trajectory,” Dr. Reynolds pointed out.
Queen’s College, which was established in 1844, as the Queen’s College Grammar School for boys. It was founded by William Piercy Austin, D.D. – Bishop of the Anglican diocese of then British Guiana. Another all-boys school was the St. Stanislaus College. The female equivalent to these schools at that time, were The Bishops’ High School and the St. Joseph High School.
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