Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 03/05) - Society has always known that girls and boys learn differently in the classroom.

Now, brain research suggests separating the sexes to make both genders perform better.

Weledeh Catholic school has latched on to the trend that has 170 schools across Canada splitting girls and boys up and catering teaching styles to each gender.

A pilot project starting next September will separate Grade 7 girls and boys for language arts and math classes.

"As we continue to strive to improve student results, we keep asking what can we do that may help," says principal Merril Dean about what prompted the decision.

On Alberta Achievement Tests, Weledeh Grade 6 boys typically score higher in math, while girls have stronger scores in language arts. The project will try to bridge that gender gap.

"Research suggests that if you do change your teaching styles and teach to the gender group that you are working with, then student performance actually improves," she says.

The spike in improvement comes when teachers hone their styles for the physiological difference in boys' and girls' brains.

Those differences impact how students learn, she says.

Dean cites some examples, such as girls hearing seven times better than boys in a classroom, while boys can store more information and for longer times than girls. Boys also learn deductively or by applying principles, while girls are inductive, using concrete examples to reach conclusions, she said.

Language arts teacher Lori Bailey and math teacher Devin Penney have a lot to learn about single sex class grouping before the split starts in the fall. Dean is handing out books on gender research by Leonard Sax and Michael Gurian as guides.

Most students who will be part of the project seem excited about the idea and a little curious about the results. Dean sat down with them to explain the reasoning behind it.

"I think it's a good idea, because girls are a lot quicker than boys in a certain area," says Susan Rohac, 12.

Eleven-year-old Emma Welsh agrees, saying that boys sometimes slow her down in the classroom.

Bobby Joe Chretien isn't convinced it's a good idea, but he's willing to give it a try.

"You could go and be with people you relate more with," he says.

A parents meeting held May 26 elicited support for the pilot project as well, enforcing the school's decision to try it for two years with the 47 students.

Students will be assessed mid-year and then at the end of the project.