BBC Radio Scotland - Newsdrive - Wednesday 24 May 2006

Below is a transcript of this interview:

A warning that schools could be open to legal action if they don't do more to help boys catch up with girls. A report for the Executive says schools and councils should give the issue more attention in the light of forthcoming legislation on equality. Scotland's sole boys-only school is a private one in Edinburgh and Nigel Robson is there.

This is Merchiston Castle School on the south western outskirts of Edinburgh. It was set up in 1833 and it has always been single sexed.

The Headmaster, Andrew Hunter, is with me, as are two of the Senior pupils, Johnny Paterson and Oliver Rodi.

Mr Hunter why are you still a single sex school?

We are single sex because we are very, very happy with what we are doing with our teaching and the learning of our boys. Our boys actually have very good links with girls' schools and we believe we get the best of both worlds.

Johnny - as a senior pupil here, what is your reaction to this debate about whether you should be educated with girls or without them?

Coming to an all boys' school, you notice that in classroom time and outside the classroom the atmosphere is a lot different to what you would expect at a co-ed school. I actually find this atmosphere one that helps me personally work definitely at an advantage.

In what way? I am able to communicate better with a teacher and communicate better with my fellow pupils, and I don't have to worry about saying something that might make me sound silly in front of a girl. Just little things like that make a big difference.

Oliver what is your view on the matter?

I do think that if I was at a co-ed school I would be conscious of the fact that there were girls in the classroom and perhaps I would say something which would embarrass me, but I would definitely be conscious it was co-ed.

Mr Hunter - how important a debate is this?

It is an absolutely vital area because I believe that how boys and girls are taught and how they learn is critical to their futures, and let us also be clear on this topic - it actually needs, I think, even more research.

Johnny- do you miss anything by not having girls around?

I actually went to a co-ed school before I came to Merchiston and I also attended a school in Canada for two months, which was an exchange project that the School allowed me to do. That was probably my greatest opportunity to experience an alternative to the Merchiston culture. Being at an all-boys' has taught me that I can communicate and participate without having to worry about what other people think.

I think what Johnny said is very true. Because we are a boarding school I think it also helps a lot. We all know each other very well, so when we are in the classroom we do feel confident to maybe say something that we are not entirely sure about; but at the same time, being where we are, pretty much very close to the centre of Edinburgh, we have the all opportunities of getting to know girls from different schools, so we don't miss out as such on the social side of our education.

Headmaster - is there too much importance being put on this topic when there are so many issues being discussed in education at the moment?

No I don't think that there is too much importance being placed on this issue. I think it is absolutely critical that we actually put more research into this issue so that we maybe have more facts, for these young people deserve the best we can possibly give them; they deserve committed teachers and they deserve, I think, all of us to carry on looking at this area.

Gentleman - thank you very much and after analysis it has been decided to stick with single sex status at Merchiston Castle School.

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