Same-sex education gets boost by Bush plan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Bush administration is moving to provide local educators with more freedom to establish single-sex classes in U.S. public schools with plans to amend a 1972 law targeting gender bias in education.

The Education Department Wednesday announced its intention to propose changes to the Title IX statutes that ban sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities as part of a plan to broaden public school choice.

The department said it would pursue the changes to support efforts by school districts to improve education and to provide parents with more educational options for their children.

"Our goal is to provide schools with as much flexibility as possible to offer students programs that meet their needs," Education Secretary Rodney Paige said in a statement.

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"The secretary intends to propose amendments to the regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to provide more flexibility for educators to establish single-sex classes and schools at the elementary and secondary levels," his department said in announcing the move.

A centerpiece of President Bush's presidential campaign, the new education reform legislation enacted in January gives states greater flexibility in spending certain federal funds.

A provision of Bush's "No Child Left Behind" education plan authorizes local education agencies to use certain federal funds to establish same-gender schools and classrooms.

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