Teenage boys are so intimidated by clever girls that they should be educated separately.
That's the view of the new head of the Girls' Schools Association, Alun Jones, who claims the move would help 11 to 16-year-old boys improve their exam results.
Mr Jones, president of the body which represents independent girls' schools, told the Sunday Times: "If you have a very bright, very driven, very focused, very articulate lady, which a lot of girls are, that intimidates a boy in the classroom, especially boys of average ability.
"The result is that boys don't put their hands up to answer questions or they indulge in immature behaviour to avoid being shown up.
"Boys will put their hand up if they feel safe; they won't if they are in fear of being ridiculed or humiliated. Boys fear failure just like girls do."
Department for Education statistics released in October showed more than 60 per cent of girls at state schools scored at least five C grades including English and maths last year, compared with 50.8 per cent of boys. Mr Jones added: "In the most formative years when adolescence is hitting with a vengeance, boys should be educated separately.
"More single-sex classes for boys in state schools might halt the decline in boys' achievement.
"I think that every state school should consider... experimenting with teaching boys and girls separately especially in subjects like English, maths and sciences."
We're not convinced by this. What do you think?
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