Students from the Hua Xia Girls' School, the only all-girls public school in Beijing, join its 15th founding anniversary celebration on May 18, 2011. Photo: CFP

Sitting in a classroom filled with both boys and girls, Chongqing-native Hou Pu still remembers the "culture shock" she felt on her first day of college at Renmin University. After spending three years at Shanghai No.3 Girls' High School, Hou felt slightly embarrassed in front of her male classmates.

"I just didn't know how to get along with them, and I was afraid of being misunderstood if I treated them as I did my female friends," the 21-year-old girl told the Global Times in her dormitory.

Now, only six months away from graduation, her classmates still see Hou as quiet and introverted girl. Unlike many of her classmates who are involved in on-campus romances, Hou likes to spend her spare time practicing her favorite hobby - drawing.

"Maybe I don't feel there is much to talk about with my male classmates, or maybe it's more of a personality clash," Hou added.

Though Hou feels some regret for missing out on the experience of joint education during her teenage years, she cherishes the unforgettable memories and friendships forged over three years at a girls' school.

"Without boys in the class, we had a stronger awareness of independence and equality, and the overall atmosphere at the school was quite vigorous," Hou remembers.

Single-sex education in China is nothing new to China and the history of all-girls schools dates back over 100 years.

After being suspended during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), China has seen a revival of all-girls schools since the 1980s, especially after the Shanghai No.3 Girls' High School became the first publicly funded girls' school in China.

However, in contrast, the old all-boys schools built early last century never saw the same re-birth after switching to become coeducational schools in the 1950s and 1960s.

Only recently did Shanghai No.8 High School launch a pilot program to create two all-boys classes, in the hope of dealing with the so-called "masculinity crisis," in which boys are usually seen as inferior to girls in their academic performances.

Pros and cons

Since the first day of their high-school classes, the 60 students in the two all-male classes immediately attracted a lot of attention. They easily stand out from other students due to their unique school uniform, and have their own floor in the school building. The specially designed facility contains resources for tailored courses, ranging from "field survival training" to an "IT talents" program.

"We are trying to provide them with an education that is based on boys' characteristics, so as to fully explore their potentials and to help them further develop their personalities," said Lu Qisheng, headmaster of the Shanghai No.8 High School, in a recent interview with China Central Television (CCTV).

Ever since these two all-boys classes were approved by the Shanghai authorities early this year, they have sparked heated debate and controversy, with some criticism zeroing on the "negative impact" these segregated classrooms could have on children growing up.

"From a psychological point of view, the period between the ages of 10 and 18 are the most crucial period in terms of the formation of a person's personality. Only when boys and girls can learn from each other's good traits and complement one another, can they get a sound and healthy personality," said Zhang Chun, director of the Intervention Center for Psychological Crisis in Nanjing.

In Zhang's view, single-sex education, in serious circumstances, could lead to somewhat skewed personalities. "If in the long term, students only deal with the same sex, they will have no idea how to interact with the opposite sex, or how to cope with forming relationships with them," Zhang added.

Compared with China where single-sex education usually means girls' schools only since the 1980s, single-sex education is well-established in the West for both genders and usually associated with an elite education. For example, the all-male Eton College in England is well-known for educating many members of the British royal family as well as generations of political leaders.

Back in 2002, Hillary Clinton, who herself graduated from the famous all-female academy Wellesley College, once urged the single-sex option to be broadly expanded in the public school system.

But just as in China, voices of disapproval toward the idea have always existed. In December of last year, eight US academics called on a ban for "sex-segregated classrooms" in public schools in a jointly-written article in Science magazine, as they say it might "increase gender stereotyping and legitimizes institutional sexism."

However, many students at all-girls schools contacted by the Global Times said the sense of safety at their school makes it seem like a harbor, in which they can concentrate on their studies without any emotional distractions.

But some say there is still something missing from such education.

"The environment at all-girls schools is a bit too simple and safe, which might make us unprepared for the complicated society after graduation," said Ma Yanzhen, a graduate from China Women's University and now a post-graduate student at a coeducational academy. 

Life goals

Compared with the goals of cultivating "responsible, committed, independent and wise men" set by the two boys' classes in Shanghai, the Hua Xia Girls' School (HXGS) in Beijing aims at offering the girls "self-esteem, self-confidence, self-reliance and self-improvement" over six years of secondary education.

"Based on our research about the physical and psychological characteristics of girls during adolescence, we just want to deliver an education that follows the needs of the girls as they grow up," Song Liqin, HXGS's headmaster, told the Global Times. Built in 1996, the HXGS is the only public girls' school in Beijing, and one of only six in China today.

In Song's view, to some extent, single-sex education, especially all-girls schools, just makes it easier for students to fully express themselves and unlock their potential. "Often, at this adolescent age, boys behave very aggressively and rebelliously, while girls act very shyly and coyly around boys. Single-sex education creates an environment in which every individual student is offered equal opportunity to try anything that they may not try in a coed environment," Song added.

Since the very beginning, the school has been keeping a close track of its graduates' performance in society. To Song's satisfaction, the feedback shows that most of their students feel the years of study in this school had a long-term positive impact on their lives, especially in making them more confident in dealing with people and being independent.

Since 1844 when the first all girls' school in China was built in Ningbo by Mary Ann Aldersay of the British Oriental Society for the Advancement of Girls' Education, these schools enjoyed a boom throughout the 19th century, before being abolished in the mid 20th century and coming back in the 1980s.

Compared with their original goal to cultivate well-educated mothers, Song says the goal of the school today is more focused on breeding modern and intellectual women with their role transferring from family to broader society.

Despite widening recognition from society on all-girls education, Song admits that misunderstandings remain. Some claim that such schools impair children's psychological development.

Compared with many single-sex schools overseas which tentatively arrange social between all-girls and all-boys schools to give students the chance to interact with the opposite sex, HXGS opens specific classes to teach students about gender differences, and etiquette classes. "What today's girls are lacking is not the opportunity to deal with boys, but how to do so," Song defended.

Hopes for expansion

Although differing drastically in their views toward single-sex education, Zhang and Song however agree that instead of a large-scale expansion, single-sex education, could provide a good alternative to students and their families in their education choices.  

Compared with the well-established HXGS, it's still hard to draw a conclusion on whether the three-month-old pilot program of the all-boys' classes will be successful. In an interview with CCTV, many boys in the classes expected this novel education to give them more chances to practice their leadership skills, since they believe in coeducational schools, most class or school student leaders are girls.

Song countered that the final goal of single-sex education is not to reinforce gender stereotypes. "Just like I never say I want to train ladies in my school, I don't think the purpose of the all-boys classes is to churn out men. The key still lies on whether we can offer an education that can follow our children's natural development," said Song.

Lu, the headmaster of Shanghai's No.8 High School, says the school plans to enroll another four all-boys classes next year, so as to build a foundation for a fully all-male school in the future.

After more than three years on campus at Renmin University, Hou Pu still feels a bit nostalgic about her high school days, especially for the calmer studying atmosphere and the special care given by the teachers to the development of each individual student.

"Though single-sex schools like mine still face criticism and prejudice from society, as a student, I am so proud of my alma mater, because I learned a lot of knowledge and gained very valuable experiences there. Those who never studied in single-sex schools shouldn't so easily dismiss them," said Hou.

Zhang Yan and the China Women's University contributed to this story