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Girls can’t do maths and boys can’t sit still. Boys and girls stop each other from learning. Talitha Linehan found out whether this is true and whether boys and girls learn better when they are in different schools. Alexander McGuigan has never been in a classroom with a girl. Alexander, 16, has been going to an all-boys school in Melbourne, Australia, called Brighton Grammar School since he was four years old. He says, “With no girls in your class, you can be yourself.”

Alexander is one of thousands of teens around the world who go to single-sex schools. Some people say single-sex schools are better than mixed schools. They believe that girls and boys learn differently and that it is important to teach them differently.

Alexander and Tim Biggin, 18, who also goes to Brighton Grammar, talk about what they think about learning in a classroom with no girls.

Do you think boys and girls learn differently?
Tim: Everyone learns differently – but most boys like numbers, and most girls like letters.
Alexander: There’s not much difference. Mostly, boys and girls like the same subjects and teachers.

What’s the best and worst thing about an all-boys school?
Tim: The best thing is that you don’t have to worry about what other people think of you. You can just be yourself. But the social life is better in a mixed school.
Alexander: Teachers know how to keep our attention. That’s cool. But you do miss being around girls.

Do you see girls outside of school?
Tim: Yes, lots of my friends are girls. I’ve had a girlfriend for ten months.
Alexander: We sometimes meet the girls from our sister school for workshops and seminars. We can also invite girls to our school dance. But if you’re not social outside of school, you don’t meet many girls.

Since 2002, more and more mixed public schools in the US have been offering pupils the chance to learn in single-sex classrooms.
Alyssa Brewer, 14, is a pupil at New Washington Middle-High School, in the US state of Indiana.

New Washington offers single-sex classes in some subjects to pupils in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. When Alyssa moved to an all-girls class, she got better marks. “I have a hearing problem, and it was hard to hear the teacher in mixed classes. Boys make noise for no reason. It’s annoying,” she says. “All-girls classes are a good idea. At age 11, girls are more mature than boys. They take their work seriously and want to learn. Boys just play around and have fun. But girls want to be successful.”

• Have you ever wondered what a classroom looks like around the world? Here, take a look!
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Внеурочная деятельность

Montpelier High School in Vermont shifted its schedule to free up 15 minutes -- for recess( a short break). Teachers and students find they are more calm and focused, with a friendship that continues into the classroom. Do you think having a break between your classes will help you do better at school?

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