SCHOOL LIFE TOGETHER

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1794, 5 July 1913, Page 11

SCHOOL LIFE TOGETHER

BOYS AND GIRLS AT WORK. In view of the aroused interest which Is being taken at present in the question of the, education of the young people of 'New Zealand, tho following review of the results obtuined by the co-education of boys and girls in English secondary schools in the May number of the "Arena" 'is worth some attention. In Scotland public schools of tho higher gTado aro almost completely co-cduca-tional, but in England advocates of the system are a small, though by no means of 'etluchtidnists. There the Society of Friends wore tho pioneers of co-cducation, but a number of private schools have now been established ior the higher education of boys and girls together. /These are staffed for the most part by highly qualified and enthusiastic teachers, and it iB a guiding principle in the conduct of the schools that inter-

course between boys and girls should be R3 free and unrestricted ,as possible. At.' Badales School, for example, both boys and girls are taken as boarders.

To some extent, of courso, the sexes li»ve to be separated. They occupy different boardinghouses, the girls breakfast in their own house, and carry out the household duties thore-rbed-making, sewing, cooking, and other work of housewifery, and they return there to change ifor the games in the afternoon. Otherwise, however, from 8.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m., they are in the 6chool building in company with the boys. _ All the class work is shared by botll 5n common, girl sitting by toy in class as also at meals. No signs of any awkiward sex consciousness havo been observed, because the whole atmosphere 'i>f the school is against it. Sentimentalism would be chaffed out of a girl just y.s much as out of a boy. A like state of things has prevailed also at King Alfred's School in Hampstead, Where, according to the late headmaster, boys and' girls "worked side by side in class-room, workshop, gymnasium, and playing field, and played together during the class interval without restriction and [without disadvantage." Certain interesting difficulties between poys and girls have been noted in all these [schools. The sexe3 appear to have different codes of honour. Cheating at games, for instance, is not hold so unpardonable an offence with girls as with boys. Talcbearing, again, is simply abhorrent to tho average boy, but not so to the average jirl. At Bedales it was found, that boys of a certain age relied on and respected the argument of physical force first and foremost, whereas a girl was more sensitive to the force of public opinion. At playtime girls have shown a tonBency to hang about in groups rather than to join energetically in the games. Girls, however, have proved as a rule more willing workers than boys, having often to ljo restrained from doing too much, while the toys have only too often !had to bo driven to do more.

Mr. T. C. Warrington, who has had Considerable experience in co-educational Schools, says that the girl's homework is Usually dono conscientiously, while the average boy will do only aa much as will keep him clear of punishment. But, adds Mr. Warrington, "whilo the girl plods, tho boy has liis moments of inspiration. She has them, too, but he' has them more often. In the class work his grip of an idea is stronger than hers; his swiftness of apprehension is greater, his interest not deeper perhaps, but more vivid. . . , The girl likes to be instructed, nnd will patiently learn what sho is set to learn; she is quite willing to sit and have learning pumped into her. The boy, on the other hand, is impatient of learning; his interest evaporates as soon as he finds ho has grasped the idea. He is, however, eager to search for new ideas.

"I have always mado it a cardinal principle of our teaching that on nil practicable occasions the pupil shall do things for himself. On such occasions tho difference between tho attitude of tho boy and girl is very marked. Tlio girl resents tho loss of the instruction which she Jovosi tho boy springs joyfully to tho new quest. Such a difference obviously creates a difficulty for the teacher." The object aimed at in the co-educational school is to extend tho be.'jj: kind of family life, ,but readers of this article will probably feel, with TCgard to the experiment, much 63 Professor Michael Sndler felt afteT ftudying the practical working of the system, "impressed, but not fully convinced." TO STOP FALLING HAIE. Falling hair—the forerunner of baldness f—is nearfy always duo to the presence of Jl parasita known as the dandruff germ. If your hair falls out the chances are ton to one that the dandruff germ is the enmse of it, and yon cannot do bettor than to got your chemist to make you up a bottle of the old reliable formula, consisting of Soz. of Bay Hum, loz. Lavona do ComDOsee, and J dram Menthol Cry- ' itals. Apply night and morning, rubbing priskly into the scalp with the finger tips. This preparation, which enjoys a forld-wide reputation as a hiair grower ind dandruff destroyer, is popularly jinowii) as Lavonn Hair Tonic, and many fchomists keep it prepared ready for salo. Lavona Hair Tonic is claimcd by many po restore grey hair to its original colour ss well as making the hair grow, and ,tho diradrufl mm,—Adrt, 1