Reasons for Attendance
Why attend an all boys' school in the first place? What is it that makes these boys want to attend such institutions? Why do parents feel that these are the schools their boys should attend? The reasons behind attendance of single-sex institutions can vary from a preference on the part of the student to the attachment a parent may have to this type of school from having attended one himself. However, there has not been a lot of research into the reasons for attendance. Most of the information on reasons comes from side notes of studies performed on single-sex education.
From the perspective of the student, single-sex settings can be attractive for a variety of reasons. One reason often noted is a better academic environment free of distractions. Datnow et al. (2001) note: "...because they provide a stronger academic climate and reduce distractions." (p. 186)
Perhaps the reason is simpler. It may just come down to the student comfort level. Parker and Rennie (2002) were cited earlier as saying that students in single-sex classes were more relaxed and comfortable than they were in their mixed-sex classes.
One of the biggest reasons that boys attend single-sex institutions is the prestige involved. Many of the single-sex academies in the United States and abroad have long prestigious histories, and many young men want to be able to say that they were part of that history.
It is often the parents that select a single-sex institution for their sons' education. Many parents select single-sex institutions for the same reasons that their children do. They feel that their son will be more comfortable, confident, and less distracted in such an environment. One difference from the parental point of view is a legacy at a school. Especially among the affluent, there is a tradition of sending generation after generation to the same institution.
Another important difference in parental selection for single-sex schools is involved when talking about private schools especially. The wealthy will often send their sons to private single-sex institutions. They send them for some of the reasons listed above but also because of an elitist attitude. They often feel that their sons are too good to be "mixing" with the lower classes.
On the other hand, there are those that would argue against sending boys, or girls for that matter, to single-sex institutions. Their arguments come from many of the reasons stated in previous sections. One frequently cited is that single-sex institutions promote stereotypical attitudes and behaviors (Datnow et al. p. 186). Robinson and Smithers (1999) also state: "The outstanding performance of single-sex schools in the examination league tables has much more to do with academic selection, socioeconomic background and the standing of the school itself than with the segregation of the sexes." (p. 23)
Today, more and more parents and students are electing single-sex education. The reasons range from sheer preference to the prestige of the institutions they choose to attend. Those not choosing to attend single-sex institutions reason that mixed-sex educational institutions are more like the "real" world and will better equip their child for the transition into life after school. (Logsdon, 2003)