目的：应对“男孩危机”

昨日，黄浦区教育局证实，市八中学已就试点转型为“男子中学”向主管部门提交申请。 市八中学校长卢起升介绍说，如今“男孩危机”（boy crisis）已经成为一个热词，颇受各界关注。在他来看，“男孩危机”首先体现在学业上。特别是基础教育阶段，男孩子的身心成熟普遍比女孩子晚，一个8岁男孩子的专注力、表达能力（expression skills）、思维能力（thinking ability）等，相当于7岁女孩子的水平。一开始就“落后”的男小囡一直得不到“冒头”机会，很可能对其整体发产生消极影响。

方向：挽救男生劣势

卢起升表示，之所以提议办“男子中学”，是希望能够采取“扬长补短”的措施，基于男生长于运动、动手操作能力强（practical capability）、空间感强、思维活跃等优势，专注力、协调性（compatibility）、计划性、语言表达能力等相对差的劣势，从基础课程、研究型课程到社团活动进行更有针对性的调整和优化，补上“学业劣势”的同时，在性格养成方面引导其成长为更加独立、更富创造性和阳刚气（masculine）的优秀男生。男子中学的实践探索，将主要针对目前男生较女生普遍体现出的“学业危机”，尝试进行一些优化男生教育环境的探索。

争议：影响异性交往

对于男子中学是否会对男生在异性相处方面产生消极影响（negative impact），卢起升认为，学生成长的家庭环境没有变化，到了高中阶段，其社会环境、同伴关系都相对稳定，3年的学校环境变化应该不会在这方面产生显著影响。一旦这一方案获批，“市八男子中学”将会在华东师大专家团的帮助下，全程“透明”实践的进展情况，并定期向主管部门和社会公布相关数据，希望实践成果对于普通中学提高男生教育水平能有一定的借鉴。

【沪江小编】上海的朋友们应该都知道，上海有一座女子中学叫做“市三女中”，如今再开一所“市八男中”那可真是相得益彰啊。当然可别光想着清新的校园，美少年们的翩翩身影，男子中学开设的意义还是为了让男孩子们更给力！其实所谓的“男子学校”、“女子学校”，他们有一个专业的类别叫做“单性别教育”，那就让我们来科普一下吧！

单性别教育 Single-sex education

19世纪前，单性别教育十分常见，在19世纪，随着教育的普及化，越来越多的男女校得到建立。1917年，苏联规定所有学校必须为男女校。据科尼利厄斯· 赖尔登所写：到19世纪末，美国大多数公立中小学已转为男女校。而到20世纪末，男女校已在世界范围内普及。最后，到2003年，全球只有几个国家的男校、女校的数量占所有学校的数量的百分率超过2％。但仍有国家、地区的男校、女校的数量占所有学校的数量的百分率超过10％，包括有比利时、智利、新加坡、英格兰、香港、以色列、新西兰、澳大利亚、韩国与大部分穆斯林国家。

Before the 19th century, single-sex schooling was common. During the 19th century, more and more coeducational schools were set up. Together with mass education, the practice of coeducation was universalized in many parts. In 1917 coeducation was mandated in the Soviet Union. According to Cornelius Riordan, "By the end of the nineteenth century, coeducation was all but universal in American elementary and secondary public schools. And by the end of the 20th century, this was largely true across the world. Wiseman shows that by 2003, only a few countries across the globe have greater than one or two percent single sex schools. But there are exceptions where the percent of single sex schools exceeds 10 percent: Belgium, Chile, Singapore, England, Hong Kong, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Korea, and most Muslim nations. Recently, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in single sex schools in modern societies across the globe, both in the public and private sector."

Riordan also said that the basis of the historic shift from single-sex education was not based on systematic research but on financial considerations and concerns for gender equity and equality of educational opportunity.

说到单性别教育的学校，当然首推坐落在英国温莎小镇的“伊顿公学”！

伊顿公学 Eton College

伊顿公学坐落在伦敦20英里的温莎小镇，是英国最著名的贵族中学。地处白金汉郡的泰晤士河河畔，与女王钟爱的温莎宫隔岸相望。伊顿公学是一座古老的学府，由亨利六世于1440年创办，最早为70名贫穷学生提供免费教育，作为进入剑桥大学国王学院的预备学校，到17世纪学校逐渐成为一所名校，这所学校的传统为只招收1480名13至18岁的男生。伊顿以“精英摇篮”、“绅士文化”闻名世界，也素以管理严格著称，学生成绩大都十分优异，被公认是英国最好的中学，是英国王室、政界经济界精英的培训之地。这里曾造就过20位英国首相，培养出诗人雪莱、经济学家凯恩斯，也是英国王子威廉和哈里的母校。伊顿每年250名左右的毕业生中，70余名进入牛津、剑桥，70%进入世界名校。

Eton College, often referred to as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor".

It is located in Eton, near Windsor in England, and is one of the nine English public schools regulated by the Public Schools Act 1868. Eton has a long list of distinguished former pupils. David Cameron is the nineteenth British Prime Minister to have attended Eton.

Eton has traditionally been referred to as "the chief nurse of England's statesmen", and has been described as the most famous public school in the world. Early in the 20th century, a historian of Eton wrote, "No other school can claim to have sent forth such a cohort of distinguished figures to make their mark on the world."

The Good Schools Guide called the school "the number one boys' public school," adding, "The teaching and facilities are second to none."The school is a member of the G20 Schools Group.