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To: Norma Foley TD, Minister for Education

End gender segregation in Irish schools

Dear Minister Foley,

The time for gender segregation in schools has now passed. We are calling on you to end gender segregation in Irish schools and to allow all children and teenagers to be educated free from any perceived constraints of their gender.

Many citizens of Ireland believe that it is no longer appropriate to educate children in separate boys' and girls' schools. Young people should be forming friendships with their peers across genders, so that an understanding can be formed while they are young that there is no difference in their intellect, ambitions, or interests.

If we continue to educate boys and girls separately, we are causing grave damage to how they relate to each other socially. We may be inadvertently causing young men to regard women as inferior to them and perpetuating a gender divide that is causing so much damage in Irish society.

A 2011 study called The Pseudoscience of Single-Sex Schooling states, "There is no well-designed research showing that single-sex education improves students' academic performance, but there is evidence that sex segregation increases gender stereotyping and legitimizes institutional sexism."

Particularly in light of the continuing rise of gender-based violence, we ask that you form a plan to amalgamate boys' and girls' schools nationwide to effectively demonstrate that all Irish children deserve to be educated and to grow up as equals in society.

Why is this important?

Please add your signature if want to see a change in attitudes among our young people, if you want to see the equality of genders, and if you care about eliminating aggression and violence against girls, women, and our LGBTQI+ friends.

Updates

2022-01-18 11:27:51 +0000

100 signatures reached

2022-01-17 20:59:05 +0000

50 signatures reached

2022-01-17 16:36:45 +0000

25 signatures reached

2022-01-17 15:25:21 +0000

10 signatures reached