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CO-EDUCATION
Co-education has been a controversial issue in our country.
Co-education means the teaching of boys
and girls under the same roof. It also mean imparting the same education to
both the sexes without any distinction. This issye is perfectly settled far as
primary education is concerned. At college and university stage. It is
passively tolerated. But at secondary stage co-education is actively opposed.
The opposition to co-education is based mainly on two
arguments. First it is said that boys and girls being allowed to mix freely run
every risk of going astry and suffering the total frustration of their
education career. These consequence are apprehended because at this period-the
period of adolescene are apprehended because at this period-the period of adolescene
both boys and girls remain very sentimental romantic and effusive and
inflammable. On the other hand, they possess no power to resist the tide of
emotion.
Secondly it is contended
that girls should receive a different type of education from that given
to the boys because their spheres of
activities are widely different. The education of girl under this system is
bund to remain imperfect. It would not, therefore, equip them to face the
battle of life with success.
The advocacy for co-education is bases chiefly on economic
considerations. Maintenance of separate institutions for boys and girls is a
costly affair. This is particularly so in rural areas where even boys schools
suffer for want of sufficient number of students. It give up their studies for
want of school.
Some religious-minded people are against co-education. They
do not like to send their daughters to
such institutions where both boys and girls are thought under the same roof.
Thus their daughter are deprived of receiving education at university level.
Then, against the oft-cited harms of co-education, its
various other benefits should also be measured. It has many advantages. First,
if boys and girls are thought together, there will be no need for opening
separate schools and colleges for girls Co-education is an economical system
because both boys and girls can study in the same institution and they can be
taught by the same staff.
Secondly, boys and girls have to live together in the
society in their later lives and if they
are taught together from the very beginning, they can understand each other
well. Thus they will be able to get rid of the unhealthy sex curiousity and
craze from which most of our boys and girls living in isolation suffer. A
grown-up boys would also find greater stimulus in the company of grown up
girls. He would be more smart, more polite and more civil
when his creating n atmosphere of healthy rivalry and inspiring them to emulate
each other virtues.
Again if they are thought together, it will create a sense
of healthy competition among them. Therefore they will work hard and pay
serious attention to their studies.
Of course, certain conservative people criticize the system
of co-education. According to them, this system is against our religion and
Islamic traditions. They also fear that co-education will develop immoral
relations between boys and girls. Their fears are true but some proper
arrangements should be made by the government to make it possible to impart
education to the college and university level so that no girl should be
deprived of getting higher education if she likes.
