Single sex vs co education schools: Does it matter?
Dar es Salaam. In the latest release of the national Form Four examination results, unisex schools have dominated the list of top performers compared to co-education schools.
This discrepancy, according to a key education stakeholder, HakiElimu, calls for more research on whether or not being a single sex school helps improve learning or not.
During an interview with The Citizen yesterday, HakiElimu’s executive director, Mr John Kalage, said it was high time that education stakeholders looked into ways bridging gaps in performance among secondary schools.
“We [at HakiElimu] haven’t researched on this aspect [on single sex versus coeducation], but previous experience has shown that some coeducational schools can perform better if discipline is enhanced among the students and better services are provided,” he said.
He went on to explain that there are many factors which could have helped those single sex schools perform better, but this remains a question of research.
The National Examination Council of Tanzania (Necta) results show that among the top 10 schools, six were girls’ schools, two boys’ schools and only two schools with co-education.
The girl’s schools are St Francis Girls, Canossa, Precious Blood, Bright Future Girls, Bethel Sabs Girls and Marian Girls, whereas the secondary schools admitting boys only include Marian Boys and Maua Seminary, Kemebos and Ali Hassan Mwinyi Elite Schools (Ahmes) were the only schools in the top 10 both sexes.
Among the 10 least performers were coeducational education secondary schools, which are Pwani Mchangani, Ukutini, Kwediboma, Rwemondo, Namatula, Kijini, Komkalakala, Kwizu, Seuta and Masjid Qubah Muslim.
