Co-Education
Co-education means the education of boys and girls in the same educational institution at the same time. In the primary stage, co-education has been the rule in all countries and in the university also. It is nowadays the rule almost everywhere. It is also felt that university students who have attained age and developed intelligence and a proper sense of their duties and responsibilities should be treated as mature and responsible citizens.
Co-education is very essential for understanding social intelligence. We regard it as the competence of the individual for understanding their background and reacting in a manner that is socially acceptable.
It helps students grow up as good human beings within society. Through this, a child can develop healthy relationships with their family and friends as well as a member of society. Moreover, it also makes them better at managing their emotions.
Similarly, they are able to handle conflicts well and be empathetic towards others along with improving their values.
There are many advantages of co-education. The first one is that they offer school diversity. This helps the students who wish to enrol in that school. Further, it also teaches them equality as the teachers treat everyone equally. Students participate in all competitions equally without any discrimination. Moreover, it also promotes socialization by promoting co-existence.
Students can prepare in advance for the real world because, at co-educational schools, they live in a healthy environment composed of both genders. It also improves the communication skills of students as they interact with everyone.
Students also develop mutual respect and self-esteem in these schools. Most importantly, these institutions help the students overcome the fear of the opposite gender. It helps them get rid of the hesitation and shyness to talk to the opposite gender as they study in a friendly environment together.
Opponents of co-education have based their arguments chiefly on the view that girls should have a different type of education from that imparted to boys. They argue that the sphere of a girl’s activities will, in the long run, be the home, and therefore their education should seek to turn out good mothers and housewives. This argument is now considered to be reactionary.
If we expand our vision, we will see that women have, in most progressive and democratic countries, been given equal rights and opportunities and they have given a good account of themselves in winning in lair competition with boys.
The problem of co-education in the second stage was in the past a debatable subject. At this stage students are in their adolescence, free mixing between the sexes in this period of life, it is held, may disturb the normal development of their mind. This is more so, as at this stage the students are apt to be emotional and excitable.
To conclude, co-education is an excellent system which helps the students in almost all spheres of life. It is great for the all-round development of kids. Consequently, it prepares them for a world where they can effortlessly work in an environment filled with all kinds of people.