Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-04
STUDENTS OPPOSE
SEX SEGREGATION
DO NOT FAVOR GIRLS HIGH
SCHOOL
Believe They Are Happier as They
Are and Would Not Change
Co-educatlon for the
World

| World
| Frightened by the specter of separate
education, high school pupils, who be-
| lieve in co-education almost to r. man
are rising in their might to Law the
ghost once and for all. Monday night
special committee of the board of
education reported in favor of estab-
fishing a high school for girls only
somewhere in the southwestern part of
the city. 1t is the clause girls &" school
that frightens the pupils of both sexes.
That the city will have to build some
kind of high school in the near future
Is patent to everybody connected with
school affairs. The pupils entered at
the Los Angeles high schools this term
have crowded the Hill street building
way over its capacity, and rooms have
been taken in the Sands Street school
nearby. At Polytechnic the situation
is no better. The school session now
begins at s o'clock and extends to 5 D.
M. thereby increasing it's capacity, but
this scheme is not altogether satisfac-
tory.
For this reason the board has decided
that a new high school is a necessity.
but the idea of separating the sexes
was rather new to the members.
otuueHtS OPPoSe toed
If the proposition were placed before
the pupils of the high school it would
be voted down by about 33 to Q. OF
thirty-five pupils whose opinions on the
subjects were asked only two were ut
all kindly disposed to a separate school,
and one of these didn't care either
way"
From the breezy mot on your tin
type" of the thoughtless young miss
who was thinking of candy and theater
parties from which she would be de-
barred, to the more thoughtful opinion
of the learned alumnus who declared
himself "uncompromisingly opposed to
it," the pupils unite on the common
ground OF desiring to continue in ,the
present CO. educational manner that has
been good enough for them from away
back.
Girls Say "No"
| Among the girls of the post graduate
class, q class composed of members
who have graduated from school but
are taking special courses in one or more
subjects, the new scheme met with but
little favor. One young miss declared:
Separate schools? Not on your tin
type. I'm glad we'll be out of it before
they can build the girls school,"
| Another expressed her feelings in the
words: "Girls' school? Oh, gee, 1 hope
not"
Still another said: 'I think it's hor-
rid to want to separate the boys and
girls. That's the reason / don't go to
the Normal" Normal is rather shy on
the masculine sex, the graduating class
| last year containing but one trouSered
individually.
II think it's wrong" declared one
thoughtful miss. "They ought to try to
create sociability among the boys and
girls, and not separate them. The
pupils are not sociable enough now, and
don't know how they would be if they
were in separate schools"
One of the P. G. boys, noted for his
erudition on such subjects, stated en-
phatically: 81 am uncompromisingly
opposed to the idea. OF course If they
just took some of the girls away it
would relieve the congestion here and
there would still be enough girls to go
around
Sorry for Future Generations
ooh, no, don't like it. OF course 1t
won't bother us, because We'll be out
before they can build the school, but
feel sorry for the girls who will come
after u.s." Such is the way a thought
full little senior A miss expressed her
view of the odious subject. II don't
approve of the idea in any FORM" said
another one of her classmates.
That's what the girls need" re-
clared senior youth, but I feel sorry
! for the poor fellows. They'd be worse
than school of Indians" Another
lad was solicitious for the welfare of
the girls. II don't think they'd half
get their lessons" he murmured, look
ing at the girl to his left; they'd
giggle the whole period"
"Horrid," punk" fierce" rocky
and many other such descriptive cpl
thets were applied to the scheme by
the pupils.
Prof. Melville Dozier, the parent of
the idea, brings forward strong defense
of his plan, although he declares that
the insertion of the word girls high
school in the report was unintentlonal.
He said last night: "Co-education is
contrary to the best interests OF the
community and of the pupils In the
grammar schools 1t is all right, ana In
the higher colleges and universities
where the students have attained to
years of discretion there is no objection
| to 1t, but in the high school age, the
years of adolescence, 1 peIeVe the
pupils should be educated separately
Would Benefit Morals
"Rv the present system of education
the students lose that high regard for
the opposite sex which should char
acterize their intercourse. They lose
the polish of manner and chivalry of
deportment which marks the true lady
and gentleman. This is due to the free
and easy intermingling OF the present
scheme of co-education.
"Then, too, at the formative stage OF
their lives the boys need strong mas
culine influence, very forcibly--I mean
strongly-exerted. The girls need the
feminine influence to bring out the best
that is in them. For that reason l
would have the majority Of the teach
ers in the girls school women. and
vice versa.
OF the pupils that l, personally, believe
IN sanarate education OF the sexes at