Girls, boys ‘better together'
BOYS and girls need to interact with each other in physical education classes and not be split up, a Warwick school principal has said.
School of Total Education principal Richard Waters was responding to reports from health professionals recently who claimed exercising with boys was "making girls fat".
The experts declared boys and girls should be separated in PE classes as young as Prep as girls were more embarrassed and less willing to participate in sporting activities when boys were present.
But Mr Waters said students of both sexes needed to interact with one another.
"It's about building up skills and confidence when they participate together so when they get into secondary school, they are comfortable with each other," Mr Waters said.
Little Athletics centre manager Paul Bannister also believed mixed-gender sports classes were beneficial for the students.
"None of the girls are intimidated by the boys and no one is put off," Mr Bannister said.
"I haven't seen it as a detriment having girls and boys together."
