The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-20
Girls at Critical Age.

For physiological reasons, Also there
should be separation here The physical
organism of the girl with its peculiar
functions, is one that should not be over
looked. but on the contrary, should be
thoroughly understood and the effect of
certain conditions upon the mental atti-
tude always considered in estimating the
rating of the pupil al any particular time.
There is no need of going into detail on
this phase of the question. We all recog-
niZe the fact that the girl at this age, for
obvious and natural reasons. is, more
than the boy. the subject of peculiar tenn
peTamental phases which affect her whole
mental well as her physical being and
should, therefore, be treated on wholly
different plane from that of her brother.
To accomplish this, sepaI ate class in
struction is distinct and direct help.
If we believe this, and think we all
must. believe it, that the physical and the
mental states are closely allied and mu-
tually depend the one upon the other.
and that one is often the reflex action of
differentiation in the matter OF sex in
struction is sound doctrine. Imagine a
gymnasium instructor trying TO conduct
mixed classes with pupils at this age.
Without hesitation, you would charac-
terize such training as absurd and harm
full to a degree. The incOngruity in the
sphere of scholastic instruction may not
at first appear to us so obvious, but if We
follow closely our reasoning on this point,
keeping in mind the inteTdependence of
the physical and the mental states and
potentiahties. we must conclude that seq
regation of the sexes in one activity is as
essential and desirable as in the other. A
matter which. | am glad to say. is at
present receiving some consideration. al
though not nearly so much as it ought TO
receive, is provision for rest rooms for
eastern cities. High schools are fitted up
with comfortable rooms and appropriate
furniture in the way of couches and easy
chairs and situated in a part of the build
N
many places, a competent nurse is in
charge to give any needed assistance. All
of this is in the direction of recognizing
the need for separate treatment of the
sexes
Physiology of the Sexes.
There is one other matter upon. which
1 wish to say a word at this time, for
believe it has a direct bearing upon a
general discussion of the subject, and thai
is the desirability of a training or course
in the High school on the physiology Of
the sexes. The ignorance of boys and
girls on this important and vital topic is
appalling. AS with many other things. we
may hold that the home. that the mother
and father are the ones TO look after this
instruction. But we know that the ma
jority of homes do not provide for it, at
least, not as they should And ii is a sad
defect in our modern civilization that
through the period of adolescence, the
boys and girls of our land who will be
the fathers and mothers of the nation in
another decade. are left to come upon a
knowledge OF themselves and their phys
zeal functions in the economy of nature by
a sort of hit or miss plan. Medical men
everywhere deplore this state of affairs
and are strongly advocating the adoption
of some means whereby a knowledge of
the vital and fundamental facts of sex
physiology may be impaired to the youth
of this age.
"All the foregoing arguments are in IA
vor of sex segregation in school classes,
q M n things " ron farVlr1 n
itself strongly and in so many indefinable
ways TO those who are in close touch with
High school work and who have taken
the pains to observe carefully. Like many
other existing conditions and beliefs which
are not ideal, il seems to me that olfr
present system of co-education is in sad
need of revision along the lines l have
mentioned.