BOYS MENTALLY LAZIER THAN GIRLS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 9 November 1927, Page 10

BOYS MENTALLY LAZIER THAN GIRLS

EXPERIENCE IN VICTORIA

Boys of high school age are mentally lazy; they require a certain amount of stimulus io make them work. Girls of the same age are very responsive, and in mixed classes the tendency is to over-stimulale the girls in obtaining normal results from tbo boys. This was one of the reasons advanced by the Victorian Acting-Director of Education, Mr Hansen, recently, for the newly-adopted policy of separating boys and girls at high schools. “There are psychological reasons for the change. Boys and girls react differently to education,” says Mr Hanseii. “Take English and science. A boy’s taste in literaturo leans towards the heroic, while a girl’s tends to be imaginative and descriptive. “The interest in science for girls lies in its application to the home and civic affairs, while for hoys it is more a matter of practical laboratory work. “The compromise that is necessary in mixed classes is not beneficial. Besides, boys are mentally lazy, "while girls are naturally alert, and the stimulus necessary to make hoys work may be harmful 'to the already responsive feminine temperament.” ' Mr Hansen also said that schools with mixed classes became too large, and overflowed the buildings. “The practice of separate classes for boys and girls was already firmly established in most other countries, except U.S.A., and it was desired to follow the example set. Melbourne municipalises are already co-operating well with the idea. The people of Box Hill have provided a site .for a boys’ high ,'school, while a girls’ school is to be built at Camberwell. Similarly, at Ehvood, a girls’ school

will be provided ,and the neighbouring municipality, Brighton, will erect a boys’ school. in the transfer of staffs, Mr ITansen said, there will be little difficulty. The - Melbourne High School has already divided, with no disorganisation of classes.