Headmaster says gender not an issue in classroom

Jonathan Taylor, the head of the co-educational Bootham School in York, has responded to claims made by the head of Eton that boys are more emotional than girls and new research which claims boys do not enjoy artistic subjects in a mixed environment.

He said: "The age-old debate about whether it's best to educate boys and girls separately or together surfaced again recently with a new twist. We're used to hearing the case for single-sex girls' education: it offers girls protection from boisterous or predatory males, and permits them to choose physics at A- level, otherwise regarded as a 'male' subject.

"Now, it seems, the boys need protecting, too. 'Boys are more emotional than girls,' claims Tony Little, the Head of Eton, but they're apparently unable to express their emotions. Only in an all-boys environment can boys express their artistic side, said a recent US survey.

"If they are with girls, they feel forced to behave in

stereotypically 'male' ways, acting 'cool' rather than being studious. They will enjoy poetry and classical music, the report seemed to say, only without the distracting – or overwhelming – presence of girls.

"However, while nothing generates so much passion as arguments about the advantages or otherwise of single-sex education, the evidence, from research in both the UK and the US indicates that educating boys or girls separately or together makes no noticeable difference in terms of results. The real difference is between good schools and bad ones."

Mr Taylor said good schools allow both sexes to "grow up and become themselves" and treats them as individuals.

He added: "In such a school, students won't be scared to choose physics, listen to classical music, write poetry, campaign for human rights, play football, cry, laugh, or stand for unpopular as well as popular views. It won't be 'boys' and 'girls'. There's more difference amongst the members of one gender I suggest, than between them."