12. Co-education

 12. Co-education

       Co-education means the teaching of boys and girls under the same roof. It also means imparting the same kind of education to both the sexes. First of all, it was introduced in Switzerland. Soon, the advanced countries of Europe adopted it. In the beginning, the Muslim countries did not like this system. With the passage of time, some Westernized institutions adopted it.

Co-education is a controversial issue. People having radical ideas are in favour of it. Their advocacy is based mainly on economic consideration. It is very difficult to maintain separate schools and colleges for boys and girls. The government cannot afford to provide funds for two separate institutions situated in small villages and towns.

Moreover, co-education is essential for modern civilization. Today women are supposed to work side by side men. They are seen in the offices, factories, mills and farms. They are competing with men in every field of life. Hence, education should also be imparted to them under the same roof and same system so that it may be easy for them to compete each other.

These advocates of co-education opine that boys and girls have to live together in society in their later age. If they are taught together, they will get opportunity of understanding each other. They will get rid of the unhealthy sex curiosity. Grown up boys would find greater stimulus in the company of grown-up girls. They will become smart, polite and well-mannered when their behavior is observed by the opposite sex. The girls also get rid of their shyness and become bold and courageous. The boys and girls develop mutual understanding which helps them a lot in leading a successful life. Co-education develops a sense of competition between the boys and girls. Both try to supersede the others. In this way, they become more hardworking, serious and studious.

The opponents of co-education assert that this system is against our religion. Islam is dead against the free intermingling of young boys and girls. This causes many complications. The students remain engrossed in the thoughts of the opposite sex. They cannot pay full attention to the work in hand. Moreover, some religious-minded people do not like to send their daughters to the institutions where both the boys and girls are educated under the same roof. Thus their daughters are deprived of the right of education. Shakespeare said;

"There is nothing good or bad,

but thinking makes it so"

The strongest argument of the opponents of co-education is that sexual corruption feared at every step. The teenagers are raw-minded, sentimental, romantic, effusive and inflammable. They do not possess the power to resist the onrush tide of emotions. They indulge in illicit love affairs. Mostly, they cannot succeed in marrying due to the opposition of their parents. As a result, the girls elope with their lovers and bring bad name and disgrace to their parents and the family. The boys become drug addicts and ruin their careers. Sometimes the girls are abducted. The parents of such girls suffer a great loss. They have to waste a lot of time and money in recovering their daughters. Moreover, the imparting of the same kind education to the girls and boys is never beneficial. The spheres of their activities in practical life are totally different. The education of girls under this system is bound to render them imperfect. It would not equip them to face the battle of life successfully. Sometimes the teacher cannot explain his point in the presence of two opposite sexes. In this way, the students' education remains incomplete. Aristotle said; 

"Never reply criticism, to do so it will weaken your own case."

To pen off, we can say that co-education maybe useful at primary and higher level is poor countries like Pakistan because its advantages are greater than its disadvantages. But from middle to graduation level, it is harmful rather fatal.