The world is made of girls and boys, of men and women. Most schools in the United States have the same goal: preparing students for the life of the future. Different types of schools, such as single-sex or coeducational, want students to succeed in college and/or work. The main reason for separate gender classes is to overcome the obstacles of each gender in a mainstream classroom context. Leonard Sax, the founder of the National Association for Single-sex Public Education, said that “Whenever girls and boys are together, their behavior inevitably reflects the larger society in which they live.” During the 1700s, coeducation was first practiced in New England. After the Revolutionary War, support for women's education increased. Many citizens thought that girls' education was a critical tool for turning future generations into good civic leaders and citizens. Private schools began to offer coeducation. The private school system was open only to wealthy families until 1840, when Horace Mann of Massachusetts and Henry Barnard of Connecticut believed that all children would benefit from an education. By the end of the 19th century, free public education at the elementary level was open to all American children. By 1918, all states had passed laws requiring children to attend at least elementary school. All schools participated, except the Catholic ones. Many Catholics were against coeducation for moral and religious reasons, such as claiming that the difference principle was rooted in religion. They also stated that females had different goals to fulfill in life. Therefore, most Catholic schools remained segregated by gender. The Education Amendment of 1972 prohibited discrimination in the middle of the paper…explore more nontraditional subjects such as mathematics, science and technology.” there are just as many disadvantages. Many researchers have found that single-sex schooling breeds disrespect for the opposite sex. When the genders are separated, they question the value of one gender over another. For example, when students get a job, they may feel contempt for the work of the opposite sex. Single-sex classes do not provide students with the experience needed in the mixed-gender environment typical of the workplace. Students also miss out on opportunities to work together and develop vital social skills needed for the future. Single-sex classes make the exclusion of the opposite gender acceptable. Outside of school, the world is mixed and students need the ability to interact with the opposite sex without feeling uncomfortable.