Single-sex classes may be introduced in Canberra high schools as early as next year if a similar trial in Western Australia is successful.
ACT Education Minister Andrew Barr said up to three Canberra high schools could have single-sex classes for subjects such as maths, science and English by 2010.
The local trial hinges on the success of interstate results, with an interim report on the West Australian trial expected to be published in April.
Mr Barr said the ACT Government had watched the trial with ''strong interest'' since it started in 2006.
''Dependent on the findings of the report, we will look at whether there would be an advantage in a local trial,'' he said.
He hoped a trial would help close the ACT's gender differences in maths and science, subjects in which girls tend to fall behind their male peers. Similarly, boys have poorer results in English.
Mr Barr stressed the policy was by no means a ''quick fix'', but another way to try to improve learning outcomes.
''The two most significant factors that are going to influence student outcomes is the quality of teaching and the socio-economic background of students,'' he said.
''I'm not elevating this [the trial] as above those issues, but I think we certainly consider it in some scope in certain high school settings.
''This is one of many policy responses that we look at.''
ACT education bodies welcomed the idea of a trial yesterday, but only if it was successful interstate and there was adequate consultation.
Some schools in the ACT now have all-boy or all-girl classes for subjects such as physical education or sex education, but policies vary between schools.
ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations president Elizabeth Singer said many parents would support the move.
''This would just be another set of options for parents to choose and I think a lot of our parents may take it,'' she said.
Australian Education Union ACT branch secretary Penny Gilmour said she would support the proposal if schools were consulted.
''As far as the union is concerned, anything that will benefit our students and help them achieve their outcomes is certainly worth a trial ... It will just be a matter of managing the process.''
Opposition education spokesman Steve Doszpot said the Liberals would also like to examine the results of the West Australian trial before they supported a similar trial in Canberra. ''[We] would [also] be keen to hear the views of teachers, parents and students before forming an opinion on the introduction of a trial of same-sex classes in ACT public high schools,'' he said.
An education academic at the University of Canberra, Associate Professor Kathryn Moyle, said research suggested single-sex classes in maths and science were of benefit. ''In terms of girls, girls have traditionally tended to not achieve as highly as boys in those sorts of subjects ... partly that is because the girls are a minority in an almost male dominated class and don't have role models they can see in that kind of area ...'' she said.
''For boys it means they too have the opportunity to focus on maths and science in ways that suit their learning style.''
But for such a trial to be truly successful, teachers also needed to adapt their teaching styles to meet gender needs. ''It wouldn't be any benefit if the teachers taught the students in exactly the same way without taking into account the different ways boys and girls learn those particular subjects.''
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