The congress presents single-sex education as a practice of conducting education that allows for the development of personalized teaching in the classroom. It has gradually been considered a cutting-edge form of education, as it leads to a substantial improvement in academic performance. In fact, the EASSE uses the Obama administration as a model, as it has promoted this kind of education in public schools, as well as other important initiatives taking place in Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia.
The congress in Lisbon brought together specialists from countries such as France, Italy, England, Spain, Poland, Brazil, Mexico and the United States, who presented examples of successful practices that have greatly contributed to improving academic performance. "Single-sex education doesn't mean going back to the segregated schools of the past, where each sex was given a different type of education to that they would develop different roles. It promotes the active participation of men and women in all areas of society", said Prof. Campos.
During his talk, Campos gave a historical overview of the evolution of education up to the 21st century and explained that it has evolved according to social changes. "Today education is not based on difference or equality, but on personalization", he explained. "Every student is a person just like anyone else, but different. We now have personalized education".
As for criticisms sometimes heard from those who consider this type of education to be artificial, Jaume Camps claims that it is not the case. "We're not forgetting that society exists outside school", he said. "When we separate students by sex, we are considering other factors that are not always handled adequately in mixed-sex schools: classroom roles, equal opportunities, career paths, success models, avoiding pressure, etc.".
According to Professor Campos, separation is so important that single-sex schools deserve special prominence. "This doesn't mean that single-sex education should be universal, but it should be a completely legitimate option that exists alongside mixed-sex education", he said.
The EASSE is a non-profit organization based in London that brings together people and educational institutions from over 16 European countries interested in the development and promotion of single-sex education, a style of school organization that is present in practically every country around the world. The EASSE currently has 432 associated schools in different countries in the European Union that educate over 200,000 students.
