MIXING THE SEXES.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1921, Page 8

MIXING THE SEXES.

CO-EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

DANGER OF REPRESSION.

The Technical Educational Conference at Wellington last week approved the practice of co-educating boys and girls of secondary school ages. A remit to this effect was introduced by the secretary, Mr. W. G. Aldridge gill)In seconding the motion, Mr. J. H. Howell (Wellington) referred to the controversy that has been occupying public attention of late regarding the proposal to build the new Wellington Girls’ College near to the Boys’ College. He had had experience of schools in which the pupils were not only taught in the same classes, but lived in proximity under the school housing system. The result was that an excellent sporting spirit was encouraged between the sexes. He quoted from the Times Educational Supplement the opinion of Mr. J. H. Badley, M.A., headmaster of the Bedales School, England, who emphasised the need of the utmost frankness in facing and handling the subject of co-education and of different methods and different aims at different stages of growth, and the great advantage frora the point of view of normal sex' development and of a wholesome outlook on all matters of sex, in the upbringing of the sexes together. Ignorance, said Mr. Badley, was itself a danger. A cloistered upbringing was no longer either a possibility or an ideal of modern life. The way to give the most help to the young was to see that they had a knowledge of these things, the fullest of which at any age they were chpable so long as it was clear and accurate, and, farther, a healthy attitude of mind towards the whole subject. Those responsible for education in adolescents should realise clearly the great emotional development that took place at the school age, and the need of every kind of healthy outlet, especially in the arts of dancing, acting, drawing, snd music, and also in personal relations. Co-edn-catiori afforded an unconscious satisfaction to the growing sex-instinct and so prevented it from being forced by repression into unwholesome channels. The mutual understanding it gave and the problems of community life and government faced together, .was the best preparation for facing the greater problems that nature’s life would bring. Mr. Howell expressed himself as strongly in favor of the remit.

The chairman (Mr. T. said the social life of the had not been developed up to the present to the extent it should have been. Mr. A. Marshall (Dunedin) was of the opinion that it was not the best method to teach the sexes contiguously. Separation of the sexes after a certain stage was inevitable. He objected to the introduction of the remit merely because of a controversy that was at present going on. Mr. G. J. Park (Wanganui) thought it would be wrong to have separate boys’ and girls’ schools The separation of the sexes was* 1 being carried a long way in the primary schools. Dr. D. E. Hansen (Christchurch) said that one of the first things in technical education was the comradeship between the girls and boys in and, out of the classes.

Mr. A. G. Tomkies (Westport) urged that the finest characteristics were found in mixed families, and miixed classes would have the same effect. The motion was carried.