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ContributionofCoeducation
Imaginingbeingaskedtospendtwelveorsoyearsofyourlifeinasocietywhichconsistedonlyofmembersofownsex. Howwouldyoureact? Unlesstherewassomethingdefinitelywrongwithyou, youwouldn'tbetoohappyaboutit, tosaytheleast. Itisallthemoresurprisingthereforethatsomanyparentsintheworldchoosetoimposesuchabnormalconditionsontheirchildrenconditionswhichtheythemselveswouldn'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一airygoddesses, morelikebook-illustrationstoafairy-tale, thanhumanbeings. Girlsdon'tgrowupimaginingthatmenareromanticheroes.
Yearsoflivingtogetheratschooldispelillusionsofthiskind. Therearenogoddesseswithfreckles, pigtails, piercingvoicesandinkyfingers. Therearenoromanticheroeswithknobblyknees, dirtyfingernailsandunkempthair. Theawkwardstageofadolescencebringsintosharpfocussomeofthephysicalandemotionalproblemsinvolvedingrowingup. Thesecanbetterbeovercomeinaco-educationalenvironment.
Segregatedschoolssometimesprovidetherightconditionsforsexualdeviation. Thisishardlypossibleunderaco-educationalsystem. Whenthetimecomesforthepupilstoleaveschool, theyarefullypreparedtoentersocietyaswell-adjustedadults.
Theyhavealreadyhadyearsofexperienceincopingwithmanyoftheproblemsthatfacemenandwomen.