Anger at single-sex schools merger plan (From Times Series)

Anger at single-sex schools merger plan

3:55pm Wednesday 18th February 2004

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Two boys have reacted angrily to proposals to turn their mixed school into a boys' school in an attempt to bring two officially-failing Church of England schools up to scratch.

Nathan Gibbons and Max Barnes-Davy both attend St Mary's C of E High School in Downage, Hendon, and object to the idea of turning St Mary's into a boys' school and Christ Church CE School in Hilton Avenue, North Finchley, into a girls' school.

The proposal is the basis of the Church of England's largest ever schools consultation document, and was marketed to parents this month as a way of improving standards and constructing much-needed new buildings.

But Nathan, 12, of Prospect Road, Childs Hill, was less than impressed. He will be doing his GCSEs when St Mary's closes in 2006 and said: "I would be happy to be moving to a new school with better facilities, but am deeply against a single-sex school. I will send an email to the council telling them that.

"I think there would be more bullying and more aggressiveness if the girls weren't there to calm things down.

"Also we wouldn't learn how to grow up and react to girls in a single-sex school."

His mother, Karen, said: "I am violently opposed to single-sex education, which is why I sent my son to a mixed school.

"The research about single-sex education being better is academic at best. And parents are very narrow-minded if they think education is just about academia.

"Our parental choice is being taken away here. There are already single-sex schools within the borough if people want that choice. But I chose St Mary's specifically because it was a Christian school and was co-educational. There would be no others with a Christian ethos in the borough."

Max, 12, of Hamilton Road, Golders Green, said being educated around girls made boys behave better and concentrate more. He is also planning to write to the council to share his views.

He said: "You need a mix of different people's opinions in class discussions. All my friends don't want an all-boys school either."

His mother, Becky Grundon, said while single-sex education appeared to benefit girls, it did damage to boys' ability to learn.

She said: "I am a mother of daughters too, but I don't believe in sacrificing one for the other."

Comments on the consultation document must be in by March 5. Visit the council web site at www.barnet.gov.uk or call 020 8359 7640 for more information.

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