In this lesson, you’ll learn about co-education through a detailed essay of 1000 words. You can also download the PDF version to easily read and study later. This essay explores the concept, benefits, and challenges of co-education, providing a comprehensive overview of the topic.
Co-Education
Essay Outlines:
- Co-education means educating the boys and girls in the same institutions.
- There exist two schools of thought who differ sharply in their views about co-education.
- We cannot open schools and colleges separately for both the boys and girls.
- The boys and girls begin to have an understanding of each other at the college level.
- Co-education has its disadvantages, also.
- In a hot country like Pakistan, co-education makes the boys and girls alive to sex matters.
- Co-education must be discarded at the university level, however, it should be continued at the primary level.
Co-education means educating the boys and girls in the same institution. It is a modern concept. It was first introduced in Switzerland but later on, it became very popular in every country. It was adopted by other countries of the West like Germany, France, Canada, Russia, and America. In Eastern countries, this concept of co-education is making headway slowly. In our country, it is popular only in vocational institutions.
There exist two schools of thought who differ sharply in their views about co-education. One group of people favors co-education. It includes the people who are educated in Western traditions. They put forward the following points:
First, they say that we should adopt co-education in our schools and colleges because our country is poor and underdeveloped. We cannot open separate schools and colleges separately both for boys and girls. This difficulty becomes very great in the case of vocational and technical institutions. It is very difficult for the Government to open separate vocational colleges both for the girls and boys and equip them with the necessary scientific apparatus and library.
Second, there is a great dearth of skilled teachers on technical subjects in our country. That is why it is desirable to educate the boys and girls in the same institutions.
Third, there is another advantage of co-education. The boys and girls have to play an important part in their practical life in the national progress of their country. They begin to have an understanding of each other at the college level. Co-education also produces in both the sexes a healthy competition in their studies. The boys also become more civilized and polished in the presence of girls.
Co-education has its disadvantages. First, in a hot country, like Pakistan, co-education makes the boys and girls alive to sex matters. The boys begin to run after the girls. The girls also feel proud of their boyfriends. Thus, this tendency makes them neglect their studies. Moreover, the girls lose their feminine qualities. They lose the feminine charm.
Second, the period of youth is characterized by irresponsibility and immaturity. They fear that free mixing of both sexes will lead to terrible consequences. This free contact will result in the laxity of morals. The youth of both sexes will be corrupted by free mixing. Colleges will be converted into romantic arbors. Cupid will have free rein. There would be Romeos and Juliets in the colleges. Ugly scenes would be a common occurrence. Chastity is the greatest ornament of women. If they once lose it, they lose their place in society permanently. That is why our religion forbids the free mixing of men and women at any stage in life. Therefore, it is false rationality to teach them in the same institutions.
The boys and girls in our country have to play different roles in their life. The girl has to run her home. Man has to earn his living. The courses taught to the girls should be different from those taught to the boys. Co-education does not encourage this tendency.
We should not introduce it at the university level, because it has many harms. However, we can continue it at the primary stage.
