VOA慢速英语:The Never-Ending Controversy Over Same-Sex Education

Should girls go to school only with other girls? Is it better for boys to attend all boys schools? Educators at school for girls in Washington D.C. believe children in classes of the same sex do better, but other experts say there is no real evidence to support that idea. They believe there are other more important things that make a school effective.
女孩应该上女子学校？男孩上男校比较好？华盛顿特区女校的教育工作者认为，同性班级的孩子表现更好。但其他专家表示，没有确凿的证据来支持这一理论。他们相信还有其它更重要的东西使得一所学校更有效率。

Excel Academy is the first all-girl school in Washington, D.C. that is independently operated and supported by taxpayers. It was established in 2007 and opened its doors in 2008.
卓越私立学校是华盛顿特区第一所由纳税人独立运作和支持的女校。它成立于2007年，2008年开始招生。

One of its students is Anyreah Clavijo who is 10 years old. Anyreah attended kindergarten in a classroom with boys. She says boys have different interests than girls. She has now been at Excel for the last five years and praises it.
10岁的Anyreah Clavijo是该校学生之一。Anyreah和男生一起就读了幼儿园。她说，男生与女生有不同的兴趣。她现在在卓越学校上后面的五年，并对该校赞不绝口。

"They would like support me and tell me that I can do it. They make me feel like I'm loved and that I'm the smartest person in the world," Anyreah said.
Anyreah说，“她们会支持我，告诉我我能做到这点。她们让我感觉被爱，让我感觉我是世界上最聪明的人。”

The Excel Academy provides free education to children from families without much money. It serves more than 600 girls from preschool, the youngest children to grade five. Three meals are served each day.
卓越学校为来自穷苦家庭的孩子提供免费教育。该校招收了600多名从幼儿园到五年级的女生，每日供应三餐。

Kaye Savage established the school and leads it as its chief executive officer. She says that when boys and girls are taught together, the teachers teach for the boys. She says boys are a little louder and much more active than the girls. In her opinion that makes girls second-class citizens in their own classrooms and schools.
Kaye Savage建立了这所学校并自己担任执行总裁。她说，当男孩和女孩一起上课时，老师们为男孩教学。她说，男孩比女孩大声些，别女生更活跃。在她看来，这使得女孩在教室和学校里成为二等公民。

But Galen Sherwin at the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU, disagrees. She says the ACLU thinks that the evidence, in her words, is not really there to support claims that same sex classrooms produce better results.
但美国公民自由联盟的Galen Sherwin对此不认同。她说，美国公民自由联盟认为，用她的话说就是，并没有证据支持所谓的同性班级能产生更好的结果。

"Similarities between boys and girls are much greater and more relevant than any differences. Certainly any differences that exist are not relevant from an educational standpoint," Sherwin said.
Sherwin说，“男女生之间的共性很大，且比任何差异都更具价值。当然从教育角度来说，男女生之间存在的任何差异不具价值。”

Elaine Weiss is an education expert at the Economic Policy Institute. She believes other considerations besides same sex classes have a bigger effect on children success in school.
Elaine Weiss是美国经济政策研究所的一位教育专家。她认为，性别之外的其它因素对孩子在学校取得成功具有更大的作用。

Ms. Weiss says everything that happens in children's early development is important. This includes how their mothers * and felt during pregnancy, and she asks did the child attend a pre-kindergarten program to help get ready for school.
Weiss女士说，儿童早期发育时期发生的一切都很重要。其中包括他们母亲怀孕期间的感受。她还询问孩子上学前班课程是否能帮助学生做好入学准备。

"They start for example in pre-school, so they're addressing some of that early gap before kids get to kindergarten. They keep their classes relatively small, so that teachers can have a one-on-one conversation and interaction with students. They have enriching after-school opportunities," Weiss said.
Weiss说，“例如他们从学前教育开始，就能解决孩子上幼儿园之前的一些早期差距。他们保持班级规模相对较小，这样老师就能和学生们一对一交流和互动。他们丰富了课外机会。”

And Anyreah Clavijo is not sure if she will always attend an all-girl program, but she is happy what she is.
Anyreah Clavijo并不确定是否会一直就读女校，但她对现状满意。