In the context of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of St. Albert’s College, it is felt that a discussion on the advisability or not of introducing coeducation in the college is in order, especially because it has been for some time a matter of muted controversy. Those who are for it maintain that it will benefit both the students and the institution. According to them it will generate a healthy competition between boys and girls in the matter of studies resulting in the improvement of educational standards in the institution. Moreover, they say that the presence of girls will have a sobering influence on the more vocal masculine elements of the college, leading to the creation of a calm and serene atmosphere in and around. But those who are against introducing coeducation in the college are able to put forth certain incontestable facts. There are six first grade colleges in this highly literate city. Of these one is exclusively for girls. All the rest, barring St.Albert’s are coeducational in character. It is therefore evident that the girls have more opportunities for collegiate education than boys. If the portals of St.Albert’s also are thrown open for admitting girls, the limited opportunities that boys have for getting admission in colleges will be further reduced. Moreover, it is a college run by an educationally backward community. The number of students who become eligible for college education after S.S.L.C. from this community and from other backward communities is staggeringly large. As we have already seen more opportunities are available in the city for girls to get into college than boys. Any measure that will aggravate this imbalance will be a gross injustice.
Now let us turn aside a while and discuss what we mean by coeducation
Coeducation is the education of both sexes in the same classes in an institution. As a definite educational policy it is modern and comparatively recent in adoption. But there are different views regarding its implementation. One extreme view is that the girls and boys “shall be taught the same things, at the same time, in the same place, by the same faculty, with the same methods, and under the same regimen’. This is based up on the assumption that there are no difference between girls and boys and consequently they should be given precisely the same education. The other extreme view is that men and women are basically different in mental and physical constitution; they have different needs; the roles they have to play in family, in society and community are different and so the education imparted to them should be different and suited to their special needs. But the more accepted view is that though their physical and mental powers and needs are different, they are fundamentally similar and so they should be educated together, uniting them in many classes, in many sports and in much of their social life, but modifying all these to suit their differences.
Taking into consideration there different views, we submit yet another suggestion.
The pre-degree classes are being delinked from colleges and linked to high schools disguised as ‘’Plus two’’ classes. In these high schools a few more divisions can be started depending upon the number of applications. Those high schools that are not coeducational in character will get only those pre-degree classes delinked from similar non-coeducational colleges. By this arrangement girls will have more opportunities for getting admission to plus two courses than boys and no injustice will be done to boys.
The students who apply for admission to degree classes are fewer in number than those who seek admission to pre-degree classes. When pre-degree classes are delinked from colleges, there will be enough facilities in colleges to admit more students to degree courses. Generally the students, be they boys or girls, who seek admission to graduate or post-graduate courses are more mature, serious-minded and sober than the adolescents who seek admission to undergraduate courses. So there will be no harm in allowing both sexes to pursue their studies together in the same institution. In fact this will help them by creating in them a greater sense of responsibility leading to decent and dignified behavior.
In the early centuries education was confined to men and boys. The segregation of sexes was a by-produce of then existing religions culture and belligerency of communities and countries. It was widely believed that the presence of women by the side of men during prayers and meditation will have a disturbing effect on their concentration. Thus in temples, synagogues, churches and mosques, the sexes were segregated, men occupying the front portion of the nave or the prayer hall and women the rear. This practice continues even today in most countries. In the beginning military training was imparted only to men and boys as they alone constituted the fighting force of the country.
But as civilization advanced, the social, economic and religious conditions changed. With this the status of women also changed. They could no longer be confined within the four walls of the house or kitchen. As they emerged into the wide world of competition and began to share with men the responsibility of creating a better society, they felt that they should be given the same education as men and they began clamouring for it. But it was difficult to change the age-old concept that women are designed to be ‘’decorative, pleasant toys for man’s amusement.’’ And that ‘’education would render them less useful and agreeable to men’’.But this idea was discredited as men began to realise that men and women have to work shoulder to shoulder to create a new and better world.
It was in the United States of America that coeducation as a system was first adopted. In the 17th century government passed laws to give free compulsory education to all its children. As a corollary and continuation of this policy coeducation in all stages has been introduced and developed. But it took many more years before the countries in Europe adopted it as a definite educational system.
But in the countries of Asia women as a whole have hardly started on the road to education of any kind. Thousands of years of tradition, the great diversity of religions and texture of society have all been responsible for the slow progress of their education. In India the condition is much worse. Antagonistic religions, caste system, lack of funds and of efficient teachers, apathy of adults, all these make a hopeless array of obstacles to the progress of women’s education almost impossible. However, Kerala has made significant progress in the matter of education. As everyone knows the foundation for this phenomenal progress was laid by Christian missionaries three or four centuries ago. But it should be admitted that though they promoted coeducational system in elementary stages they did not generally favour its introduction in the higher classes. Perhaps this attitude is still lingering among the Christian managements. Fifty years have passed since St.Albert’s College was started. During this period of rapid progress India has changed, and Kerala much more. Time has come for the college to change its stance. Sooner or later it has to throw open its portals to both men students and women students who come seeking knowledge (which is power) to equip themselves for discharging their duties and responsibilities in the wide arena of life. The sooner, the better.
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