Syria: ‘Napalm-style’ attack on school reported

[The Straight Story]

15. Not sure, but here is one possible reason:

Syrian children ‘interrogated in their own schools’, Human Rights Watch warns

Government troops in Syria are using schools as interrogation centres for students, refugees escaping the country’s civil war have claimed.

The regime has carried out at least two aerial attacks on schools in the north of the country, while pupils reported tanks entering school grounds, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.

The New York-based group said both the army and rebels had used schools as bases, barracks and sniper posts.

Government forces have also fired upon schools not used for any military purpose, HRW claimed in a 33-page report based on 70 interviews, including 16 students and teachers, with people who fled the fighting.

...

One in five schools are no longer open in Syria, with thousands destroyed, damaged or used as shelter for victims of the conflict, according to Unicef, the UN’s children’s agency.

http://metro.co.uk/2013/06/06/syrian-children-interrogated-in-their-own-schools-human-rights-watch-warns-3830583/

If they were taken there as part of something like that they could be broken up by sexes. Could also be how schools are there in general (since mostly Islamic in that area that would be the most likely reason). Example:


Gender segregation now mandatory in Gaza schools
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/womens-group-slams-gaza-law-gender-segregation