Mixed Secondary Schools Are Better than All-Girls / All-Boys Schools


You'll have to excuse the "primary-school-debate-lookalike" title.  Remember those? The ones ending with "I am here to confuse you and not convince you that X is better than Y.  Yes, I am sure that helped to jog your memory.  And if you did not ever experience or witness one of these, then you're lucky!

Okay, back to the topic.

If you attended secondary school in Nigeria, you had a choice.  Well, technically, you didn't.  You went to the school your parents picked for you, after passing the common entrance examination.

But assuming you had a choice, it would have started with choosing between public and private schools.  In the sphere of public schools, you can choose between state, federal and "public" schools.

All of that aside, within these sub-categories, you still had to decide which type of school to attend, i.e. mixed schools (both sexes) or all-girls/all-boys schools.  I am not aware of any other category *shines teeth*

To put things in perspective, let me give some examples of well-known schools in each category.  Feel free to add more examples in the comment section.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

All-Girls: Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls High School, Yaba, Lagos; Methodist Girls' High School, Yaba, Lagos

All-Boys:  St. Finbarr's College, Akoka, Lagos; St. Gregory's College, Obalende, Lagos; CMS Grammar School, Lagos [Apparently, the oldest secondary school in Nigeria]; Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos

Mixed: Community Grammar School, Surulere, Lagos


PRIVATE SCHOOLS


All-Girls: Vivian Fowler Memorial College, Lagos; Lagoon Secondary School, Lekki, Lagos

All-Boys:  Unknown

Mixed:  Atlantic Hall ("A" Hall), Epe, Lagos

LAGOS STATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

All-Girls:  Unknown

All-Boys:  Unknown

Mixed:  Lagos State Model College [Kankon, Meiran, Badore, Igbokuta]

FEDERAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS

All-Girls:  Queen's College, Yaba, Lagos; Federal Government Girls' College [Sagamu, Ogun State; Abuloma, Rivers State; Benin, Edo State; Vandeikya]

All-Boys:  Kings' College Lagos; Federal Government Boys' College, Garki, Abuja

Mixed:  Federal Government College [Enugu, Calabar, Jos, Bauchi, Calabar, Odogbolu, Ogbomosho, Ikirun, Langtang]


So, why exactly did I make this un-comprehensive list? Honestly, I got carried away.  That's my excuse.

Back to the topic ... at least, if you're not fuming, by now, over the fact that I inadvertently omitted your school.  Calm down and Google it.  Happy now?

Who knows, maybe one day, there'll be a St. Relentless College! Anything is possible.

So, I went to an all-girls' secondary school, and have often wondered if perhaps I missed or lost something by not attending a mixed school.  Of course, I grew up with cousins who attended mixed schools and were always feeding me with tales of the so-called enjoyment of interacting regularly with boys and girls, bla bla bla ... Teenagers! What do they know? *huffs*

Typically, the advantages of keeping a child in a single gender secondary school (according to the arguments I heard growing up) include the following:

  1. He or she will be more focused.  There will be no distractions from students of the opposite sex (I suppose they assumed all boarders stayed in school and forgot that with adolescents and their hormones running in every direction, where there is a will, there's a way.  Jumping the fence is only Part 1.  No, I am not admitting anything).
  2. Reduced likelihood of teenage pregnancy.  I'm not sure what to make of this, as per whether it is true or false.   Girls will be girls, and boys will be boys.  But maybe the best way to explain this point is to remember this saying: Out of sight is out of mind.  

We'll have to continue this discussion another day, but before I leave, here's a question for you.

Question: Which do you prefer (mixed or all-girls/all-boys secondary schools) and why? Do you think one is better than the other? Let's hear it!

*Image Source


I've actually not really thought about it but i guess there are pros and cons for every choice. I attended an all girls school (FGGC OYO and you omitted in in your list) *angry face* and i saw lesbianism happen (i saw people with my koro koro eyes)

Toin

Do you know that out of the 9 categories you mentioned, I went to three of them? I started from a female federal, to a mixed state (badore), and ended up at a mixed private.


In my opinion, mixed is better by far,

@ilola

Toin: Me too! I attended a FGGC, but it wasn't Oyo. As for lesbianism in secondary schools, I think it thrives in all girls schools, truthfully. I did not witness any live episodes, but I was quite aware it was actively practiced.


So, is this a con of all-girls schools?

Atilola: 3 out of 9? Let's just say someone has experience! So you think mixed is better? I think in the long run, mixed schools are better, but in terms of reducing distractions, not so much.

Lol at the fact that you don't know any all boys/girls secondary school in Lagos. For me I started off with a mixed private or was it public school (it was called Model college, Agege) then I went to a military school Air force, Ikeja, then a private all girl's school Vivian Fowler Lagos before I came here and finished secondary school (US).

For me having gone to mixed schools before all girls schools, all girls schools was definitely a breath of fresh air. However, after I came to a mixed school after the all girls school, I was glad to be back in civilization.

I would normally advocate all girls schools but I think kids should be allowed to interact with the opposite sex lest they start acting like idiots

Nollywood Reinvented: Honestly, I don't know any PRIVATE all boys' secondary schools in Lagos. Please share if you know any.


Omo, you should be wearing a special badge or something for your experience! Looks like you hit all the major categories. You're lucky you went to high school in the US, so the transition to college wasn't such a shock.


Lol @ "back to civilization." I don't blame you. If I had to do it all over again, I would pick a mixed school anyday anytime. It provides the best balance in my opinion. Lol @ acting like idiots. My my! Looks like someone has seen her classmates acting silly around boys.

Whitesands in and all boys school.

Anon

Anon: Thanks for adding to the list. Now, I have one example.

Methodist girls aint a public sch

dee

Dee: Oh really? So, what would you classify MGHS as?

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