ContributionofCoeducationImaginingbeingaskedtospendtwelveorsoyearsofyourlifeinasocietywhichconsistedonlyofmembersofownsex.Howwouldyoureact?Unlesstherewassomethingdefinitelywrongwithyou,youwouldn’tbetoo
ContributionofCoeducation
Imaginingbeingaskedtospendtwelveorsoyearsofyourlifeinasocietywhichconsistedonlyofmembersofownsex.Howwouldyoureact?Unlesstherewassomethingdefinitelywrongwithyou,youwouldn’tbetoohappyaboutit,tosaytheleast.Itisallthemoresurprisingthereforethatsomanyparentsintheworldchoosetoimposesuchabnormalconditionsontheirchildren–conditionswhichtheythemselveswouldn’tputupwithforoneminute!
Anydiscussionofthistopicisboundtoquestiontheaimsofeducation.Stuffingchildren’sheadsfullofknowledgeisfarfrombeingforemostamongthem.Oneofthechiefaimsofeducationsistoequipfuturecitizenswithalltheyrequiretotaketheirplaceinadultsociety.Nowadultsocietyismadeupofmenandwomen,sohowcanasegregatedschoolpossiblyoffertherightsortofpreparationforit?Anyoneenteringadultsocietyafteryearsofsegregationcanonlybeinforashock.
Aco-educationalschoolofferschildrennothinglessthanatrueversionofsocietyinminiature.Boysandgirlsaregiventheopportunitytogettoknoweachother,tolearntolivetogetherfromtheirearliestyears.Theyareputinapositionwheretheycancomparethemselveswitheachotherintermsofacademicability,athleticachievementandmanyoftheextra-curricularactivitieswhicharepartofschoollife.Whatapracticaladvantageitis(togivejustasmallexample)tobeabletoputonaschoolplayinwhichthemalepartswillbetakenbyboysandthefemalepartsbygirls!Whatnonsenseco-educationmakesoftheargumentthatboysareclevererthangirlorvice-versa.Whensegregated,boysandgirlsaremadetofeelthattheyarearaceapart.Rivalrybetweenthesexesisfostered.Inacoeducationalschool,everythingfallsintoitsproperplace.
Butperhapsthegreatestcontributionofco-educationisthehealthyattitudetolifeitencourages.Boysdon’tgrowupbelievingthatwomenaremysteriouscreatures–airygoddesses,morelikebook-illustrationstoafairy-tale,thanhumanbeings.Girlsdon’tgrowupimaginingthatmenareromanticheroes.Yearsoflivingtogetheratschooldispelillusionsofthiskind.Therearenogoddesseswithfreckles,pigtails,piercingvoicesandinkyfingers.Therearenoromanticheroeswithknobbykn