Why Do We Say Gender Inclusive is Best for Everyone?
At The York School, we believe that a strong sense of belonging is essential to both learning and personal growth. As a gender-inclusive school since our founding in 1965, we’ve seen firsthand how an environment that embraces all students, regardless of gender, fosters deeper connections, greater empathy, and a stronger community. Our approach aligns with the American Psychological Association’s stance that coeducational schooling not only supports academic success, but also promotes essential social skills and attitudes that students carry with them throughout their lives.

That is why many of the world’s leading independent schools began moving away from single-sex education to coeducation beginning in the 1960s.

Research studies have demonstrated that classrooms segregated by gender limit children’s opportunities to develop a broader range of behaviours and attitudes - behaviours and attitudes that are critical to lifelong learning and social adjustment. And we know that single-sex education doesn’t necessarily lead to better academic outcomes, and this too is backed up by research. Studies show that students in coeducational environments, like ours, develop a broader range of skills, including emotional intelligence and adaptability. At The York School, we take pride in our inclusive approach, which allows students to grow into well-rounded individuals, prepared for both academic success and the challenges of an ever-evolving world.
“There is a mountain of research… showing that segregation by race or gender feeds stereotypes…The adult world is an integrated world… The best thing we can do is provide that environment for children in school as we prepare them for adulthood.” - Professor Janet Hyde, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Everyday in our corridors and classrooms, across all grades and divisions, we see the proof of these studies playing out in real time before our eyes.

We see groups of friends - boys and girls together - laughing over shared jokes, climbing, jumping and playing at Junior School recess, working on projects and studying together.

We see cafeteria tables where everybody is welcome. We see science partners and project groups that are varied and mixed. We see friendship circles that are large, overlapping, flexible, and open.

By learning and working together in supervised, purposeful environments, our students develop the tools and mindset required for successful relationship-building at university and in the workplace.

Canadian students have spoken and this is what they say:
  • They report nearly the same level of academic confidence regardless of whether their school is gender inclusive or single-sex.
  • 84% of students attending independent gender inclusive schools feel confident expressing their views in the presence of students of another gender – that percentage drops significantly for students in single-sex schools.
  • Students at gender inclusive schools report making friends easily with students of any gender.
  • There is no difference between gender inclusive schools and single-sex schools when it comes to students feeling confident to participate in class discussions, engage deeply in learning, and even in how they perceive their own and others’ math and science abilities.
  • 88% of students at independent, co-ed schools feel that their school provides a safe environment for all students.
Moreover, in a massive meta-analysis of single sex and coeducational schooling that included nearly 200 studies conducted in more than 20 countries over more than fifty years, researchers found:
  • No evidence that single-sex schooling improves girls’ performance in STEM subjects;
  • No evidence that single-sex schooling produces better academic outcomes when compared to coeducational schooling.
  • No evidence that boys do better verbally in single-sex learning environments;
  • No evidence that girls develop a better self-concept in single-sex classrooms;
  • And overall scant evidence that single-sex classrooms offer any educational or social benefits beyond what is offered in coeducational classrooms.

Joining The York School means becoming part of a community where your child’s wellbeing is nurtured every day. Here, students aren’t just learning subjects — they’re learning how to care for themselves and others, how to collaborate, and how to lead with confidence and compassion. We invite you to be part of this vibrant, inclusive, and supportive community that truly values the success and happiness of every student.
The evidence that we presented above was drawn from the following resources:
Pahlke, E., Shibley Hyde, J., Allison, Carlie M., ‘The Effects of Single-Sex Compared with Coeducational Schooling on Students’ Performance and Attitudes: A Meta-Analysis’, Psychological Bulletin (2014), Vol. 140, No. 4, 1042-1072; Halpern, D.F., Eliot, L., Bigler, R.S., Fabes, R.A., Hanish, L.D., Hyde, J., Liben, L.S., Martin, C.L., ‘The Pseudoscience of Single-Sex Schooling’, Science (2011), Vol. 333 (6050), 1706-1707.

 Andover in 1973; Boston Latin in 1972; Choate Rosemary in 1974; Deerfield Academy in 1989; Harvard Westlake in 1991; Horace Mann in 1968, Hotchkiss in 1974; Phillips Exeter in 1970; The Perse School (2012); Westminster School in 1973; Winchester College (UK) in 2022.

Dabrowski, A., Donoghue, G., ‘Single-sex schools: we wouldn’t segregate kids by race, so why do we still do it by gender?’, The Conversation, July 14, 2015; Dabrowski, A., ‘Single-sex schooling relies on myths of higher achievement’, The Conversation, March 24, 2014.

 Perceptions and Attitudes of Students Toward their Academic and Social Experiences in Canadian High Schools (2006). A survey of 17,798 students and recent graduates from all types of Canadian high schools (independent, public, gender inclusive, and single sex). Conducted by The Strategic Counsel, 2006.