Join the Virtual Think Tank – Single-Sex Schools

A webinar featuring leading experts on single-sex education will be hosted by Springfield City Group (SCG) next week, as moves continue to attract new schools to the rapidly expanding city on Brisbane’s doorstep.

The virtual think-tank will be held on Wednesday, August 18 and feature educators from Clayfield College, Brisbane Grammar School, All Hallows School, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School, Independent Schools Queensland, UQ Business School, Deakin University, and the University of South Australia.

Springfield City Group Executive General Manager (Education and Smart City) Dr Richard Eden, who will also be taking part in the webinar, said topics to be discussed included whether “students in single sex school outperformed their co-ed counterparts”.

“Some research from educators suggest that single-sex education can broaden the educational prospects for both girls and boys, claiming co-ed schools tend to reinforce gender stereotypes, while single-sex schools can break down gender stereotypes,” Dr Eden said.

“These are very important issues, considering research has already identified the demand for new same sex schools (both genders) within Greater Springfield.

“It’s a long haul (establishing new schools),” he said. “Planning for those sorts of things doesn’t happen overnight, with school boards or the department of education having forward plans of five and 20 years’ for infrastructure.”

In this year’s budget announcement, the State Government revealed a new Secondary School in Springfield will be one of six schools to open in 2024.

Developed by SCG, Greater Springfield is one of Australia’s fastest growing developments. The city is currently home to a university, TAFE and 11 schools – five private and six state schools – with plans to more than double that number by 2036.

The plan for the city – home to more than 45,000 residents, with projections forecasting a population of 80,000 by 2030 – to become an “education powerhouse” includes single sex (separate girls and boys from Prep to Year 12).

“Our vision for our Learning City is to make learning accessible to learners of all abilities. We invite new-age schools and specialist academies who share our vision for innovation in learning to establish themselves in a city where learning is valued and championed,” Dr Eden said.

“Naturally our growing, young demographic puts significant pressure on school provisioning and makes our planning for future schools an immediate planning priority.”

Education City, part of the Knowledge Precinct, provides a central nucleus for education, embraces the vision for lifelong learning opportunities, and forms another intended driver of the Greater Springfield master plan that aims to generate one job for every three residents.

For more information on the August 18 webinar please visit the below link:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/virtual-think-tank-single-sex-schooling-tickets-166240093595