The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-11-09

assured he never addressed a lady in bis ljfa
and there were, few who ieotild have feiased
z' ID ted RadcatiOnai ixsbloaf xsbloaf1iss.9 III 9W -sss
r. writer in tie chartst5ni ch Ii Ns,ss has a Bee
giving series Of articles 5n this SUBJECT, and
closes his thoughts as to the wants and neccessi:
ties of our State by the following appeal for tho
co-education Of the sexes. 1t may add soms
interest tt stats that Benz. B. Sttart Esq, for:
merly Of. the Winnsboro Meis; is doubtless tfs
author of this series, and his heightened expe:
rience'in the business of teaching gives force
and,pertinency to his suggestions 80 .isoem
The existence of two races in our midst Aeca
essitates the provision of two sets of pubic
schools, one for each but further division df
these Tito two other setsy one for the boys and
one ftf the gifls; Is hot NECESSARY and is not
eveh to be desired. 1t is best that the sexes
should be co.educated I know that some Of
my expressions (for instance, the one implying
that women, as well as men, should be upon the
State Board of Examiners, and the statement
Of my conviction that, just as at Oberlin Col:
lege, Ohio, and Michigan University, and otiief
fourishi6g institutions, both sexes attend the
same lecture r6oms SO; universally, the eo-etlas
cation 1f young Woitier and voting men is.pbe:
sible and certain to Gomez mag have surPriaed
my readers: The reason may be, that hive
studied this subject aud the tendencies Of Chris
tianity and Of the age, and they perhaps, hare
not: 1t shocks nobody to see women, as we'll
as tt,et listening to sermon together in church.
It Will; in course of time, shock no Une to ses
women and men listening to scientific Lectures
together For science, the handmaid Of Chris:
tianity, is becoming part of the religion ff
the world, and its students, priests that, the
world will acknowledge. This matter, so far
as it concerns young men and young women,
need mot be settled at all, however, so faraatyuf
subject; schools and co-educatipg boys and gitls
Is concerned. The State of Illinois, Iowa, Mis
'chigan, Tennessee and Missouri, have all tested
the latter question, and now build their school
houses and arrange their play grounds for the
purpose of co-educating boys and girls. They
find it possesses many advantages over the mo;
nastic and convent system, which has Its origin
in the view of several relations that prevailed
in the middle ages. That view still prevails in
the East, where even brothers and sisters are
studiously kept apart, which, surely, no one in
our State approves. Our oldtfeid schools pfds
ceeded on q much better and truer principfe
Whist It'll has been so admirably set forth by
Supsfintendent w. F.. Harris; of the public
schools of St. Louis, Missouri, that proposes
now to close the subject of educational reform;
briefly touched in this series of papers, by4uo
ting at length from his report of 1869-70:e n
''That which theory establishes and expert
ence yerifes may be safely followed. The 90;
education within the limits of Certain ages ana
within certain sections Of the United States
tiay be considered approved by the twu-fdh ds:
monstration of theory and practice, Within
fifteen years the schools Of st: Lofts have beet
entirely remodeled on this plan, and the re:
suit, have proved so admirable that a few re:
marks may be ventured on the experience they
furnish. The co-education of the sexes mskes
it possible to have better classification, and -
the same time, larger classes: While It y
conceded by opponents that primary schools
niat be mixed to advantage, they Oppose the
system fof schools OF. a higher grade, NuH,
what is singular in our experience is, the fact
that high school was the first experiment on thh
PLAN for classes above the primary, and fr6m
the high school the system has crept down
through all the intermediate grades. What had
been found practicable and satisfactory in the
highest grades could not long be kept away
from the lower ''' e'..''
Z &. Good manners atd discipline have con;
tinually improved with the adoption Of mi1Ad
schools. Our change i'll st. Louis has been sd
gradual that we have been able TO weigh with
the utmost exactness every point Of conparie,
ebn between the two systems. The mi1ingW
she male and female departments of s.sehoa
has ARRAYS been followed By improvement -
discipline; not merely on the part Of the bo14,
but On thst of the girls as we'll. The rideness
and c6andon which prevails among boys vixen
separated at osGg gives place to selfrestfa;nf
iu the presence of girls. g The prurient sentif
mentality engendered by educating girls from
boyyssAit Is manifested BY 4 frivolous and silly
bearing when such girls are brought into tho
society of those of the opposite sex-this dis
appeafs aIfnost entirely in mixed schools Id
its place quiet self-possession reigns. The
consequence of this is a general prevalence ot
milder forms of discipline. Boys and girls oris
ginating according to Natures plan-in the
same family as brothers and sisters, their cul
ture should be together, so that the social i'm
stincts may be saved from abnormal diseased
action.
8. instruction is also greatly improved
Where the sexes are separate, methods of In
struction are unbalanced and gravitate contin:
ually toward extremes that may be called mas:
culine and feminine: The masculine extreme
is mechanically formalizing in the lowest shape;
and the merely intellectual training on its high:
est side The feminine extreme is the learr:
ing-by-rote system on the lower side, and the
superhuity of sentiment in the higher active
ties. Each need the other as a counter-checks
and it is only through their union that educa.
tional methods attain completeness and do not
foster one-sidedness in the pupil. We find here
that mixed schools are noted for the prevalence
Of certain healthy tone which schools on tho
sepatste system lack: More rapid progress is
the consequence, and we find girls making won:
derful advances even in mathematical studies;
while boys seem to- take hold of literature faf
better for the inftehce Of the girls. =. i'f'
4. Individual development is, as already in:
dicated, far more sound and healthy. It has
been found that schools kept exclusively fer
boys or girls require q much more strict sur