Coeducation

COEDUCATION is the education of both sexes in the same classes in an institution. This term has been given several inter pretations, the most extreme of which is that girls and boys "shall be taught the same things, at the same time, in the same place, by the same faculty, with the same methods, and under the same regimen." This is based upon the assumption that there are no differences between girls and boys and consequently they should be given precisely the same education. The more accepted interpretation is that there are differences in their physical and mental powers and needs, but that because of their fundamental similarities they should be educated together, uniting in many classes, in many sports, and in much of their social life, but modi fying all these to suit their special differences.

Coeducation as a definite educational method or policy is mod ern and comparatively recent in its adoption. The constitution of society in the early centuries, with war and religion—which engendered belligerency—as the chief occupations and interests, confined education to men and boys. As far back as the first cen tury Greece had schools for boys. France and Germany estab lished them in the fourth century and England has a record of a similar school in 598. Private education for boys of certain classes was possible long before this both in Europe and the Orient. More than a thousand years passed before education of girls was attempted on any scale whatever. What education girls had received had been secured either privately or in convents or a few segregated schools, and such opportunities were confined almost entirely to families of wealth. In a few instances girls— princesses or members of the aristocracy—had been taught with their brothers at home, or occasionally a young woman had been permitted to attend a few lectures with her brothers. Although several of the teachers of ancient and mediaeval days advocated ultimately teaching girls, and even the sexes together, it remained a theory except in such special cases.

As long as the idea prevailed that women were designed to be "decorative, pleasant toys for man's amusement," or that "edu cation would render them less useful and agreeable to men," very little education except with these objects in view could be ob tained. With changing social, economic and religious conditions, the status of woman changed. Since educational opportunities were so firmly established for boys in all countries existing through ancient and mediaeval days, education for girls became a question of method. With few exceptions, at first segregated schools were provided. Then as a matter of economy girls were admitted to some boys' schools, or small schools were established for both together, usually elementary in character. In Scotland coeducation in the elementary schools was established as a definite policy in the late 17th century, though boys and girls had attended the same parish schools together previous to this.

An innovation in matters of education was promulgated by the Massachusetts colony in the New World when it passed laws in 1 642 and 1 647 providing for free compulsory education for all its children, this being almost as soon as the colony was settled and this being also the basis upon which all education in the colonies and the United States has since been developed.

In the 19th century women began to demand an education equal to that of their brothers. As they edged or fought their way into various institutions the question of coeducation—its efficacy and desirability—became a widely debated subject, especially in the Old World countries where tradition and custom have held through many centuries and where changes of a radical nature are made slowly. As yet coeducation is not popular there though it has been adopted in a number of countries for the earlier grades where the Government has assumed tale responsibility of giving free edu cation to its children.

England.—Coeducation was tried in England as an experiment in a number of private schools established either by individuals or societies in the middle of the 19th century. Free elementary schools, coeducational in character, were established as a result of the Education Acts of 187o and 1902, but they have never found favour with the "classes," and are attended almost entirely by the "masses." In the '7os, when the desire for higher educa tion spread among women, the two colleges for women, Girton and Newnham (1874), did not give what was wanted. Then began the long struggle, led by the Headmistresses' Association, to secure entrance to and degrees from the universities of England, espe cially Oxford and Cambridge, which has been fully accomplished only recently.

France.—Compulsory education was established in France in the early 19th century, but since 1867 each commune with popu lation of over 500 has been obliged to support a separate school for girls. While there are some 20,000 mixed schools in France, these are attended almost exclusively by children of the middle and artisan classes. Segregation above the 13th year is almost the invariable rule. A number of universities, established exclusively for men, have admitted women and to that extent they are coedu cational.

Germany.—With the adoption of compulsory elementary edu cation in Germany, mixed or coeducational schools developed in the smaller cities, and about two-thirds of the children are now educated in this manner. Since the overthrow of the Monarchy changes in educational matters as well as social and political are taking place. Higher education is much in demand by German women and while no coeducational universities have been estab lished since the World War, many old universities are admitting women.

The Orient.—In the East women as a whole have hardly started on the road to education of any kind. Thousands of years of tradition, the great diversity of religions and the texture of society have all been responsible for the slow progress of their education. In China, Roman Catholic and American Protestant missionaries in the middle of the 19th century established mission schools which started the movement for the education of girls. As yet schools are not numerous and coeducation is practically non-existent.

Japan, which established its first school for boys in

794 A.D., paid little heed to the education of girls until the last half century. Affected by the overthrow of the feudal system, and by the results of the study of educational systems in the United States and Europe, the Japanese Government adopted (about 1871) free, compulsory, secular education for boys and girls in a common school. Segregated high schools are provided for children over Japanese women have been greatly influenced by contact with the women of the United States where many go for study, and are requesting more opportunities in their own country. In increasing numbers, they are attending the Imperial universities (opened to them in 1920) and the free universities which have followed this example.

India.

The factors involved in India's problem of education are numerous and most complicated—antagonistic religions, the caste system, the child brides and child widows, the economic situ ation, lack of efficient teachers, apathy of adults—these make a seemingly almost hopeless array. In 1928 i % of the girls were literate and only 2.03% were under instruction. Coeducation is confined to the village schools for an economic reason, but sep arate schools for girls are being established as soon as the village can do so. Less than a thousand women are studying in girls' colleges, a few hundred in men's colleges and technical schools. There is little interest in education for girls and practically none in coeducation though prejudice toward both is slowly lessening.

Italy.

Italy has made great changes since the World War in its educational policy for women. Many women were forced into men's occupations and as they realized the need for more prelimi nary training the situation was met at first by permitting them to go to the liceo, or higher school for boys. As the numbers in creased Italy had neither time nor money to build separate schools. Consequently coeducation exists in the higher schools established for boys, leading to the universities—many of which are now open to women.

South America.

The varying political and economic changes in South American countries, the difficulties of communication between countries and parts of the same country, the immense distances, small population, the topography and the general apathy or hostility toward education of women have all contributed to its slow progress. Though coeducation exists to a limited extent in some South American countries, it is neither popular with nor patronized by those who can afford to send their daughters to convents or church schools. Argentina has made the greatest progress, dating from 1868, when North American methods and teachers were introduced by the president. About half the schools are now coeducational. Brazil, 3% of whose population attend school, has, since the establishment of the republic in 1889, set up free, primary, secular schools, a few of which are coeduca tional—though they serve mostly as models. Sixteen-seventeenths of the population are Roman Catholics which makes separation of Church and State difficult. Chile has admitted women to its teacher training schools since 1890, at first with reluctance and some reservations. Latin American universities which form a chain from the University of Mexico (155i ) to southern Argen tina were established for religious purposes for men. Their char acter has been somewhat modified and women are now admitted to many such universities.

United States.

Coeducation is a distinctive feature of educa tion in the United States and extends from the kindergarten through the college. It probably originated in colonial days in New England before the advent of public schools when boys and occasionally girls with them were instructed in the Dames' schools and later in private schools as a matter of expediency or necessity.

Coeducation received a great impetus following each of the three great wars of the United States. The Revolutionary War brought new ideas, stabilizing the new government and the quiescent development of a new country. The Civil War opened up and widely extended the profession of teaching for women. The World War brought tremendous changes in the economic, political and social status of women, and opened hundreds of occupations previously closed to them.

Owing to a difference in type and purpose of the early settlers of New England and of the more southern colonies, a difference in their attitude toward education developed, and these differences appeared in the new settlements opened by migrants farther West.

The colonial South because of its early indifference, because of its greater economic freedom and because of its institution of slavery, developed public education and coeducation more slowly. The New England idea of coeducation was transplanted through out the Middle West and Northwest, and gradually this type has been adopted throughout the country, due also to economic condi tions, sparsely settled country, lack of transportation, growing ideas of democracy and the women's rights movement. Coeduca tion is the accepted and predominate mode of education in about 97% of the public elementary and secondary schools of the United States, students in 258,859 such schools in 1926 numbering The establishment of coeducational colleges and universities by private endowment, by Churches and by States has been remarkably rapid west of New York State. The East has been slow to adopt coeducation, largely owing to the age and prestige of its men's colleges, these having been founded when the colonies were young; and to the prestige of the women's colleges opened to meet an unfulfilled demand of eastern women for college training. St. Lawrence university was chartered in 1861 as a coeducational institution and was followed by Cornell in 1868 and Swarthmore in 1869, these being the first in the East. Others followed rapidly, Syracuse (1870), Boston (1873), and then a few institutions, exclusively men's for forty to one hundred years, began to admit women, notably Vermont (1871), Maine (1872), Pittsburgh (1874), Pennsylvania (1877), etc.

Collegiate coeducation began much earlier in the Middlewest and Northwest. Oberlin opened as an academy in 1833 and in the same year what is now Kalamazoo college was chartered. In the '40s such coeducational institutions as Buffalo, Earlham, Grinnell, Eureka, Iowa Wesleyan, Lawrence, Mt. Union, Otter bein, Pacific and Williammette were founded ; and Knox and Al bion admitted women. The '5os saw the first coeducational State universities established, Utah in 185o and Iowa in 1855, and the formation of numerous Middle West coeducational colleges con tinued. During the '6os seven more State universities were chartered as coeducational, and Indiana, Minnesota and Mis souri admitted women. All but five states have coeducational universities, two only partially. Four of the five have no State universities. The universality of coeducation west of the Mis sissippi is made apparent by the fact that in all this territory there are but four women's colleges, one established in 1927. In this same territory almost without exception the leading institutions are the State universities. Practically every department of col legiate instruction is open to women,—professional courses as well as liberal arts, and many institutions are admitting graduate women whose undergraduates are entirely men.

Experience is the only method of testing the results of coeduca tion and with the fourth generation of coeducationally trained women now in colleges in the United States, the old objections there have been refuted.

Other Countries.

A coeducational system is being built up in Canada similar to and influenced by that of the United States since intercommunication is easy and their economic problems and types of settlers are similar.

Denmark has developed its coeducation largely through the cooperation of several families in the matter of establishing schools. This custom and the later establishment of free schools for boys and girls have led to its public school system. The other Scandinavian countries, and Holland, Belgium and Switzerland, have all developed coeducation to a certain degree in the public school system.

Summary.

The old arguments against coeducation—that it will effeminate the men and coarsen the women, that the women have not sufficient health, strength or mental ability for higher education or to compete with the men—have been repeatedly dis proved. The remaining objection seems to be largely a matter of centuries of custom, of racial differences and class prejudice. Tradition and prejudice still favour the segregated schools where possible.

The numerous changes in the character of government in the past 50 years have greatly affected educational policies, and definite conclusions are not yet reached as to the best methods— coeducation or segregation. With the development of mental hygiene and psychology some educators are again speculating whether it might not he advisable to separate the sexes, at least during a few years of adolescent life, especially as there seems to to be a natural segregation in some fields because of the increase of vocational and professional courses adapted to the different sexes. In the United States and Canada the tendency continues to be toward coeducation in all schools, working out individual interests because of sex differences in coeducational public schools rather than in private segregated schools. Nowhere in the world is coeducation developed to the extent and with the democratic spirit that exists in the United States. (R. L. F.) BIBLIOGRAPHY.--Hon. D. Campbell, Mixed Education of Boys and Bibliography.--Hon. D. Campbell, Mixed Education of Boys and Girls (1874) ; R. G. Boone, Education in the United States (1889) ; Alice Wood, ed., Co-education, a series of essays by various authors (1903) ; E. G. Grant, History of Education in the U.S. (19o9) ; C. Brereton, Studies in Foreign Education (1913) ; A. F. Leach, Proceed ings of the British Academy (1914) ; P. Sandiford, ed., Comparative Education (1918) ; E. P. Cubberley, Public Education in the United States (1919).