PAREF believes that mixing boys and girls is better only at the preschool and university levels. Men and women are so different emotionally, intellectually, physically, and psychologically. They also develop at different paces. A fourteen-year-old boy and a fourteen-year-old girl do not have the same degree of maturity. They also differ in motivations. Those in favor of co-educational education cite some benefits, some of which PAREF believes can be better achieved by some other means, and in some other time and setting. An example is the socializing benefit.

Other benefits are exaggerated, such as the claim that a co-ed setting fosters better mutual understanding of the sexes. The one who would know the psychology, mindset, emotional make-up, motivations of boys would be someone who would know it from within, another male. The same would be true for girls and women. Boys would learn from men what it means to be a man and gentleman, girls would learn from women what it means to be a woman and a lady.

Another advantage of all-male staff could be that they, albeit to a limited extent, fill in the gap that we would find in a number of families, where the father has limited presence. Boys need good male role models, who would normally be their father, an older brother, or a teacher, not entertainment or sports figures.

Yet another advantage is for the tutorial relationship which sometimes calls for discussion of intimate matters, such as something on a person’s conscience or something about relationships with the opposite gender. PAREF’s experience is that this is best done with someone of the same gender.

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