Education

Co-education means educating boys and girls together. They attend the same schools or campus. There is no segregation between them. In many countries of the world, we find co-education. Boys and girls attend the same institution. In some countries, there are separate schools for boys and girls. Boys read in boys' schools, while girls read in girls schools.

In our country, many people think that boys and girls should not read together. Girls are spoilt in the company of boys. This is a traditional and conservative view. Now, time has changed, and new ideas are afloat. Many countries have realized the importance of co-education. We should also move with the times. Boys and girls have to live together and work together. They should be taught this from an early age. There should be no dividing wall between them.

Co-education teaches boys and girls to know and understand each other. They read together and play together. There is understanding and co-operation between them. They do not have an air of superiority of inferiority. They do not hate each other. Boys learn something from girls, and girls learn something from boys. There is healthy competition between them. Girls try to excel boys, and vice versa. This develops their potentialities.

Co-education provides better education for both boys n girls. As they read in the same school, there is a saving in expenditure. This may be utilized for providing better teachers and better equipment. If there are separate schools for boys and girls, there is duplication in expenditure. As poor nation that we are, we cannot afford to spend much. Co-education is economical and better.

General education should be made co-educational in our country. All existing schools and campuses should be made co-educational. This does not present any difficulty. New schools and campuses also should be co-educational. Purely boys or girls schools and campuses should not be allowed to be established. Some technical schools or campuses like those of engineering or military education may be meant only for boys. In the same way, there may be some girls schools or campuses like those of home science and nursing.

We should have co-education in our country. But it will take some years before we introduce it throughout our country. A long-established tradition takes time to be broken. Co-education has no meaning if we do not have girls in large numbers.