Study: Single-sex class no help to girls

LONDON, June 25 (UPI) -- A new British study says educating girls in a single-sex environment makes no difference to their educational development.

The Observer said the study, one of the most comprehensive of its kind, found girls do not generally become distracted with the presence of boys in the classroom, a commonly held belief.

The study was conducted by Alan Smithers, Professor of Education at Buckingham University and considered one of Britain's top experts on schools. Smithers cited 50 years of research, concluding that the data "has not shown any dramatic or consistent advantages for single-sex education."

The results appeared not as clear for boys, who overall showed more discipline problems.

The Observer reported that many parents still believe boys learn differently than girls, and are campaigning for single-sex education.

The number of single-sex schools in Britain has decreased from nearly 2,500 to just over 400 in the past 40 years.