The Washington herald., 1911-03-26

the person Of a woman who had been
entirely educated among women.
Here in my own school, it is a ques-
ton with the girls of, 1 am so afraid
Jim will get away ahead of me- and they
strive to keep up with Jim, who may
be extra good. while on the other hand
Jim will be more particular as to his
lessons and personal appearance because
he values the good opinion of his femi-
nine classmates.
There has been no demand for a
change in the Washington schools, but
should there by one, l do not think it
would be well at all, as our present
system is eminently sensible and salts
factory. The boys and girls are a COM
plement each to the other; they are CO.
workers on a common basis, and there
is nothing to suggest Sex, and so de-
stroy their comradeship-but segregation
would do that"
Stimulates the Pupils.
Mrs. Belva Lockwood was another who
unhesitatirgly negatived the suggestion
She said:
I have always been against any such
movement. for 1 have found by experi-
ence that in a college or school the
boys are a stimulus to the minds of the
girls, and the girls have a refining and
softenins influence on the minds of the
boys, while each sex acts upon the other
as strengthened and spur to effort
The mind of girl is as strong as that
of a boy, but it is a different mind. and
she will derive help from him by max
ing extra efforts to keep up with him,
while he is not going to allow a girl
to get ahead of him if he can help it.
This competition in worthy aim is of
immense advantage to both.
The question of separating the sexes
came UP in the college in which 1 was
educated, but it was rejected. For fifteen
years after was graduated from Genesee
College 1 was actively engaged in educa-
uonal work in colleges mostly female
colleges, and l am satisfied that il Is the
Illusion created by guarding young girls
from social intercourse with young men
that is responsible for the esca apades that
now and then startle us-elopements I
mean-which take place without due ac-
quaintance or forethought. There would
be no glamour over a girl who was COM
petlng for prize the young man was
striving to get
Then the girl who has been educated
among girls is apt to be prim and self
conscious and is bound to be narrower
bI'fAiI lL4S SII WHO mad TO Keep UD
with her stronger fellows or drop back
and lose her self-respect The latter does
not have to assert her sex; she takes
her place alongside, and wins by right
OF her mind, and she makes a man have
a higher ideal of woman because of her
The school, to my mind, should be
as near as possible like the home In
the home boys and girls are not sepa-
rated, but are brought up side by side
hot l.
of it"
Mrs. H B. F. Macfarland admitted she
had not considered the matter, but she
was ayerse to the idea of a change in
the District schools
Il have not given the matter thought"
said she, but now that it is brought to
my attention, 1 am of the opinion that
the present system of mixed schools
seems to be much more wholesome, as
the minds of the boys and girls supple
ment and spur each other on. 1 could
see no advantage to be gained by sepa-
rating them, while it would probably be
detrimental in way to both sexes.
Sort of Superior.
'1t must be very Irritating, though,
to a boy to see a girl take the first
honors, and I do not see how the fear
of that would fail to act as a goad to
-.>NP ''--A' hiS OtSl Blrl QOeS
not feel that way about a boy. for II
appears to be natural for a girl to look
upon boy as a sort Of superior being,
who is expected to excel But she will
surpass him IL she can / see where a
Washington boy has taken nine of the
possible eleven prizes at Harvard That
is fine thing, and the girls must feel
the spur to such an achievement.
Il believe we have about as good
schools as are 10 be found anywhere,
and / hope they are not considering the
segregation of the boys and girls here
really do not think II would be an
mprovement-indeed, as I said, 1 con-
slider the present arrangement much
more wholesome"
A. 7. Stuart, superintendent of the
public schools Of the District, was de-
cidedly against the proposition of chang
ibg the present system of teaching the
boys and girls together. He said:
Il have believed and always will be-
licve in co-education in the schools, for
the reason it not only makes discipline |
much better, but adds tn the refinement
cf the boys, as well as putting them |
in the same relation as at home. We |
have had co-education in the public |
schools for twenty years, and am most |
against a change" |