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Key messages
- There are reasons for co-ed classes for RSE.
- There are reasons for separating classes by gender for RSE.
- Teachers and schools are best placed to determine the needs of their students.
Reasons for co-ed classes
- Separating boys and girls can perpetuate the stigma of the topic.
- Gender-split classes may result in genders receiving inequitable or gender-biased education.
- Students who are gender diverse are better catered for (students who are gender diverse may feel uncomfortable, unsafe or uncatered for in split classes).
- Same-sex attracted young people are better catered for (students who are same-sex attracted may feel uncomfortable, unsafe or uncatered for in split classes).
- Students may act in a more mature manner (in gender-split classes students may feel the need to act in stereotypical gendered roles).
- There are opportunities to learn about topics from different perspectives from different genders.
- There are opportunities to develop empathy for the changes and challenges experienced by another gender.
- There are opportunities to practise communicating with each other about sensitive topics (which is an important skill for developing respectful relationships with other genders - friendships, romantic relationships and intimate relationships).
Considerations for running co-ed classes
- Ensure to addressing bullying or teasing based on bodies (for example: people calling periods gross).
- You can have the class start as co-ed and then split them into gendered groups for small group activities.
- Offer opportunities for gender split groups (e.g. a 'girls' chat' or 'boys' chat' at lunch time; or small group work with the school nurse)
- Offer instruction taught by both male and female educators to provide positive role models and reduce stigma (if culturally appropriate)
- Allow students to ask questions they may not be comfortable asking in front of the class by using a question box.
- Timetabling and staffing of gender-split classes can be difficult.
Reasons for separating classes by gender
- Young people may feel more comfortable asking questions (particularly on topics such as menstruation, erections, wet dreams, female genital modification, sex).
- It may be more culturally appropriate (e.g. In Aboriginal culture there are requirements for delivering 'Men's business' and 'Women's business').
- Lessons may be differentiated more easily to suit the needs and learning styles of all boy or all girl groups.
- Some parents may be more supportive of teaching boys and girls separately.
- Differing maturity levels of boys and girls can be accommodated for.
Considerations for running separate classes by gender
- How will you support gender diverse students?
- What happens when a student you thought was a girl self-selects to be in the boy class?
- When splitting, some schools offer three groups: boys, girls and a mixed group. This can help support gender diverse or intersex students, and allows students to self-select what group they would feel more comfortable learning
- Do not just teach the 'girls' topics' to the girls and 'boys' topics' to the boys - both need to know all of the information and ensure that both groups know that they are both receiving the same information
- Offer instruction taught by both male and female educators to provide positive role models and reduce stigma (if culturally appropriate)
- Share questions (and answers) from the question box with both groups so that everyone has the same information. (Collect questions from both groups to answer in the next session to help maintain anonymity and avoid questions being labelled as 'boys' questions' or 'girls' questions').
