Single-sex schools can damage children’s social abilities in the long run, according to Ciara Kelly.

New research has shown that there is little to no academic benefit for students attending single-sex schools.

However, social skills can differ hugely depending on the gender mix of a child's school.

A study published recently in the British Educational Research Journal analysed the data of nearly 5,000 15-year-olds in Ireland.

When adjusting for socioeconomic factors, it found that those attending single-sex schools had no academic advantage.

In terms of social development, children in mixed schools tended to have more friends, while girls in single-sex schools had fewer friends, but were generally more socially bonded.

Staged photo shows bullying by a teenage boy at school, 31-8-17. Image: MBI / Alamy

All boys' schools fared the worst socially; with students overall having fewer friends and also being the least socially connected group examined.

The report also found that boys in single-sex schools had the least gender equal views, and were significantly more likely than boys in mixed schools to disagree that girls deserve as many good things as boys.

Overall, those who attended all girls' schools were found to have the most gender equal views.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Ciara Kelly described these results as ‘worrying’.

“I don’t like what I see in this,” she said.

“I’m not saying this to be woke or to be right on or to be anything - but I think that you’re giving kids, sort of, chips on shoulders, or whatever you want to call it, that are problematic.”

'Not necessarily positive'

Fellow presenter Shane Coleman agreed, saying that the impacts of attending a same-sex school were ‘not necessarily positive’.

“I just think it’s as simple as this – in life, the genders are mixed,” he said.

“I was at my daughters musical last night – all those kids are probably fast asleep at this stage, exhausted after three nights – but it was brilliant.

“Just to see the boys and girls interacting like it is the most natural thing in the world – because it is the most natural thing in the world.”

Ciara said that she was grateful for her experience attending a mixed secondary school.

Main image: Split image showing school children (L) and Ciara Kelly in the Newstalk studio (R).