Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-06-17
A BOYS SCHOOL.

The action of the trustees Of Vermont
academy in deciding to make that institu-
tion a boys school exclusively beginning
with the fall term this year is being gem
orally commended. In this connection at
tention is called to a recent article by
Prof ]. e. Armstrong of the Englewood
high school, Chicago, on "The advantages
of limited sex segregation in the high
school," This paper was read before the
Central Association OF Science and Math-
ematics in the University OF Chicago. It
is an able and exhaustive treatment,
based on careful investigation. The con-
clusfon Prof. Armstrong reaches is as fol-
lows:
Il fully believe l am justified in the con-
clusion that the segregation of the sexes
during the first and second year Of high
school holds more boys in school, greatly
improves their scholarship, and removes
from them the feeling of unfair compari-
sons due to differences in degree of ma
turity OF children of the same age but
opposite SEX and that the possibility of
adapting the work to the needs of each
sex viii make it easy to train each sex
for a higher degree Of efficiency"
The Youths Companion recently dis
cussed thoughtfully the subject of CO.
education or segregation, in which it rec
ognized the difference in the natural trend
Of the minds OF the two sexes. A part Of
it's statement is given herewith:
Recent action in two eastern colleges
in abandoning coeducation revives the
question whether the subjects studied in
college and the method of teaching them
should be the same for boys and girls
Coeducation seems to work better in the
West than in the East, fact which may
be explained by the comparative youth of
the western institutions. Difficulties may
increase as time goes on.
Meanwhile there should be no bitter
ness in the discussion on the part of
either sex. 1t is not that either is ad-
judged better or worse than the other,
but that is different. A schoolmaster Of
fifty years experience summed up his
view thus: what makes a man a man
never makes a woman a woman"
Education is fundamentally discipline.
The hour in the classroom is to the we'll
equipped teacher a brief and precious
time for drill. Must 1t be every day
practically divided in half that two classes
may be taught? In history, for example,
the boy cares chiefly for wars and consti-
tutional development; the girl, for the
progress Of civilization and the arts. Each
type OF mind must be trained by the
teacher to a complete mastery Of the sub
iect
In composition the girl has a natural
fluency and fancy, and must learn order
and conciseness. The boy is naturally
logical and accurate at the expense Of ease
and imagination. a class conducted in
the interest of both is really two classes.
1T is probably true that there are many
courses OF study where coeducation works
waste Of time and power, and where the
teacher who studies his students as well
as his text books justlfies the segregation
of men and women.
I'm the great state universities the diff
ficulty is not, and is not likely to be, Sc
rious, since there is ample room for choice
Of courses for both men and women. II
is in the smaller colleges that the move
ment against coeducat ton is most promi-
nent.