Essay Introduction:
Co-Education means the education of boys and girls together in the same institution and at the same time. In India, it has recently become common. In the recent past religious leaders and the people of conservative views did not favor the idea. They were even against the education of women, because they were not in favor of liberty and equality to be granted to women. But now times have changed.
Co-education in India:
Co-education is not a new thing for us. In the good old days when Sanskrit used to be the mother tongue in India and the Ashram were the seats of learning, co-education was widely practiced. In the Hindu scriptures, old records and legends, we find a number of examples which show that co-education was prevalent then. The practice continued till the advent of Muslim rule in India. With the Muslim rule came the degradation of women. The ‘Purdha’ system led to the discouragement of female education.
Co-education in the West:
In Europe Co-education is only of recent origin. Oxford and Cambridge universities kept their door tightly shut against woman till recently. But after the First World War, Co-education had tremendous rise in Europe and America. In America women have now begun to outnumber man in the school and colleges.
Criticism in Favor and Against Co-education:
For the very beginning powerful voices have been raised against this speedy march of co-education. Stephen Leacock, an eminent American educationist declares with emphasis, “Men cannot study when women are around”.
Charges against Co-education:
There are many charges against co-education. Some of these charges are: * It lowers the tone of discipline and brings about seriousness among the students. * It brings about a shift in the mental make-up of the students. Learning goes to the background and “Sex attraction regains supreme”. * It promotes love