Inclusive, real-world, family-based education
Choosing what primary school to send your child to is an important decision to make with lots to consider. Primary school provides an important foundation for high school and for life – so you want to make an informed decision.
When my wife Shelley and I made this decision for our three kids, we looked for a school that offered quality education, encouraged critical, independent thinking and embraced and celebrated diversity.
Single-sex education does not mean superior academic education at primary school level.
There seems to be a belief that children from single-sex schools perform better academically than those from co-educational ones. The implication of this is that sending your child to a co-educational school could compromise their academic performance.
While there is research that suggests that this may be the case at secondary school (due to an escalation of “attraction distraction” and other issues around adolescence) this is not the case at the primary school level. At primary school, academic performance is very much dependent on the quality of the academic programme offered by the individual schools themselves.
Co-educational primary education offers real-world education
I have always believed engaging with a wide range of people makes for a richer and more interesting life. Our globalised modern world has made the ability to relate to and work effectively with diverse groups of people an essential 21st-century skill. Diversity includes people of different ethnic groups, religious persuasions, sexual orientation and members of the opposite sex.
I have seen the benefits of co-educational primary schooling in this regard first-hand. All three of my children adjusted easily to the co-educational nature of university life, and are able to work comfortably and positively with members of the opposite sex.
Like most people, I have made some good choices and some not so good choices in my life, but I have also made a few smart ones. If you are considering what primary school to send your child to, you have an opportunity to make a really smart choice too – send them to a great co-educational school– send them to Epworth!
By Patrick Makkink, Epworth Prep Schools IT Teacher.