Daily Republican., 1880-04-13
TALK TO ND PURPOSE.
Rhe School Board Discusses Co.
Edaeatien hut Avoids Aetf0n--
other Matters Considered.

lThe school board Discusses Co
Edueation hut Avoids Aetf0n--
other Matters CgusfdeFed.
The School Board at its regular meet.
ing last night at oncs took up the sub.
ject Of co-education, discussed it for an
hour and half and cautiously conclu-
led 10 leave action upon 1t to the new
Board.
The matter was before the Board in
the shape of resolution, introduced
by Mr.. Kent AZ former meeting. II
provides that, owing to the crowded
condition of the girls department in the
Grammar schools and the unoccupied
seats in the boys rooms, girls shall be
lsested In the boys department with the
boys when necessary, as in the primary
schools at present; 1t is to take effect at
the commencement Of the school year
in September. The resolution was
postponed when offered, and taken up
lon Mr.. Kent's motion at the meeting
last night.
At the outset Mr.. Baird favored the
resolution saying it does not provide
for an unwise plan.
Mr.. Heisler asked if it is the inten-
ton OF the committee to make this a
llaw, or only adopt it as temporary ar
rangement. To this Mr.. Kent replied
that it was to be permanent.
Dr.. Grimshaw in the course of some
what lengthy argument said this reso-
luton is the opening wedge for false.
pernicious and bad doctrine. He look
cd at 1t from a moral point Of view and
saw many dangers ahead. True, CO.
education is practioed in Swarthmors
and other colleges, but they are kept
separate, and only meet in the social
relations Of man and woman. 1t was
unwiss to put girls and boys together
at the same task from mental and
physical point of view, woman is not so
strong as man and cannot perform the
same task. The doctor, in the course
of his address, quoted and read from
Prof. Clark's work on "Co education"
Mr.. Baird held that the need Of room
made the adoption of the resolution
necessary.
Mr.. Grubb stated that he had given
the matter much attention. He agreed
with DR.. Grimshaw in what he said
about colleges, but It must be remem-
bered that there the boys and girls are
always together; here they would only
be together some five hours. In the
colleges the girls have TO 60 through
the same studies as boys, but their
minds do not appear to weaken. The
speaker called the attention Of the
Board to the report of Prof. w. T.
Harris, Supt. of Public Schools in St.
Louis, for 1872. This document related
that the practical results Of co-educa-
tion were beneficial. Mr.. Grubb had
written to Mr.. Harris, asking the opin
ior based on results since 1872, and he
stated tha it was unchanged; it work
ed better in all grades, the teachers
had less work, and ithad never been
abandoned when once tried.
Mr.. Kent also had book which he
introduced in opening his remarks. 1t
was called "Sex and Educstion," and
was intended by the author, Col. Hig-
ginson, as reply to Prof. Clark's
work. Mr.. Kent read extracts of let
ters from President Fairchild OF 0bsr-
lin college. Professor Wickersham,
Superintendent of Public Schools in
Philadelphia; the Superintendent of
instruction at Cleveland, o., the Su-
perintendeut at Dayton, O., J. W.
Dickinson of the University Of Masga-
chusetts; John Bastin, of University of
of Michigan; President Anderson Of the
Michigan University and others. All
these letters spoken from experience,
in the highest terms Of co-education.~-
Aside from other considerations Mr..
Kent argued, that Of convenience was a
very material one; not long ago there
were 27 vacancies in the girls gram
mar school and AZ IN that of the boys.
DR.. Grimshaw to all this replied that
on the question under discussion Prof.
Clark was much better authority than
Col. Higgiuson.
Mr.. Kenney said it is we'll to look at
this question from practical stand
point. In School No. 4, he never heard
a complaint made about the girls, but
the boys were often complained OF; be
was 10th, therefore, to accept the argu-
ment that the influence of the girls
would make the boys better. II would
not be right to place the girls in danger
on a plea Of convenience, and he did
not think the plan would work at all
in the Wilmington public schools. 1t
was not a..safe doctrine to try to save
the boys, and indsnger the morals Of
the girls by 50 doing.
Mr.. Heisler then addressed the Board
and made some startling statements.
He first said he had been reading up
the matter from his well stocked libra
ry and understood it pretty thoroughly.
He then went on to defend the boys
against Mr.. Kenney and said that there
was not so much danger Of the boys
corrupting the girls as vice versa. The
girls he noticed were worse. This he
could prove. II the members of the
Board we're to come with him into the
grammar schools he could show them a
state Of morals that would surprise
them. He often left home in the even
ing, and walking up the street would
meet boys and girls from No. l school
promenading and carrying on in q
manner sometimes which made him
actually ashamed. He said he had
know ledge of notes of a scandalous
nature passing between the girls and
boys, making arrangements for clan
destine meetings, and at one time a girl
was nearly expelled for it. The notes
we're nearly all written by girls. This
was all because the boys and girls
we're in one building. How much
worse, he argued, if they were placed