If a child has been used to being in a single gender school, then they may struggle to adapt when they go to a mixed college or university. These problems can be magnified when going from a single gender school to the workplace. At work, there will normally be people of all ages, and all young people will need time to adjust to such a different environment. For children from single gender schools, it will be even more of shock to the system to work with older people and of both sexes.
Though there are exceptions to all rules, boys are less likely to be aggressive in the presence of females. Boys are also less likely to be disruptive in the classroom. Girls, too, are less likely to be critical of each other in front of boys. Both sexes will be worried about image, particularly in their teenage years, and will be keen to portray themselves in the best possible light. There can also be a healthy competition between boys and girls, with both sexes raising their standards.
Students who are in schools which are not gender specific will learn more about etiquette between the sexes. Students who attend single gender schools will often find meeting students of the opposite sex stressful, because they've had limited experience of doing so. Many students from single gender schools will feel shy around the opposite sex, which can cause relationship problems after leaving school. Difficulties at a young age can leave lasting scars.
Boys and girls being separated in schools can form a negative impression in a child's mind. They may wonder if the opposite sex is deemed a bad influence on them, and may not believe that boys and girls are separated for educative purposes. There may also be an unintended impression given to the children that they need to be in single gender schools because one sex is more intelligent than the other. In a mixed school, for instance, pupils are separated by classes based on ability.