|
Coeducation meaning teaching boys and girls together is a very modern practice. This is primarily because even schools wee founded, for centuries they were only for boys. For centuries, some girls from noble or rich families might be tutored, but they did not attend schools. It was finally the Reformation that changed this (16th century) A major concern of the Protestants was to go back to the early Church and wanted a scriptural basis for religious practices. And Protestants did not trust priests to interpret the Bible to them, they believed that every individual should read for themselves. And this meant women as well as men. At the time only a small part attended schools (all boys) meaning literacy was not widespread. So we see schools being established. This was the origins of the early grammar schools which were only for boys. But many Protestants wanted a far wider personal study of the Bible than a few grammar schools made possible. And they wanted wives and mothers to participate in the family Bible reading. This provide the possibility of home teaching. We at first see this in Germany, Scotland, and eventually the American colonies. At first this did not occur in England with its Anglican Church which was not as severely Protestant as the rest of northern Europe. Northern England was something of an exception. Over time the Dame School appeared. This was a kind of private school. Parents paid a woman of varies education to care for their younger children. Some were essentially baby sitting centers, but some actually did some real teaching--enough to begin reading the Bible. Town school began to appear (18th century). These were schools for younger children and in many, girls like in the Dame schools, might be admitted to study with the boys.
The Society of Friends (Quakers) in England and the United States as well as in the United States were early adopters of coeducation. Quaker settlements in the British colonies mostly adopted coeducation. In America, the new free public primary which after the American Revolution supplanted church institutions were almost always coeducational. The Northwest Ordinance provided a means of financing public (state) schools as the frontier moved west. Britain also lagged behind many other countries in state-financed education. Only with the Education Act of 1870 did Britain begin to build a major free national education system. But this did not mean coeducation. Most of the new school were single gender schools. This was not unusual in Europe, but coeducation had been adopted in the United which established a national public education system (actually separate state systems) well before England. There were some coeducation, but mostly small schools in villages that could not support two separate schools. Even in schools with boys and girls, however, there were efforts to keep the boys and girls separate. such as separate classes and separate playgrounds (school yards). Of course English state schools did not include secondary schools until well into the 20th century. Grammar schools which were a kind of half step toward state secondary schools were almost all single gender schools. The move toward coeducation began at English universities. The same process occurred in the Continent. Girton College at Cambridge was established for women (1869). The London School of Economics was opened for women (1874). Coeducation in the secondary system continued to be limited until after World War II. Interestingly a coeducation argument was at first that it would improve academic standards for the boys. (Modern thinking is that single gender schools improve academic standards fir the girls.) Private schools, both the preparatory schools and public (elite private boarding) schools were especially resistant to coeducation. This begin to change in the 1970s when economic conditions began to force smaller private schools to close. Accepting girls enabled many schools, especially prep schools to maintain their rolls.
Coeducation meaning teaching boys and girls together is a very modern practice. This is primarily because even when schools were founded, for centuries they were almost exclusively for boys. In America the term 'coed' was widely used to mean young women arriving at previously all-male universiuties. This is because when coeducation began in universiuties it mean primnarily girls arriving at all male institutions.
For centuries, some girls from noble or rich families might be tutored, but they did not attend schools. A rare exception was the convent schools until King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries (16th century). This also put an end to the akmonry schools which were a rare avenue for social advance available for poor boys at the time. A new form of schgool for girls appeared, at keast for girks fromm well-to-do families --the academies (18th century). Thesewereessentialaly what might be called finishinbg schools. Academic standard were ghenberally very low.
It was finally the Reformation that began to change this (16th century) A major concern of the Protestants was to go back to the early Church and wanted a scriptural basis for religious practices. And Protestants did not trust priests to interpret the Bible to them, they believed that every individual should read for themselves. And this meant women as well as men. At the time only a small part attended schools (all boys) meaning literacy was not widespread. So we see schools being established. This was the origins of the early grammar schools which were only for boys. But many Protestants wanted a far wider personal study of the Bible than a few grammar schools made possible. And they wanted wives and mothers to participate in the family Bible reading. This provide the possibility of home teaching. We at first see this in Germany, Scotland, and eventually the American colonies. At first this did not occur in England with its Anglican Church which was not as severely Protestant as the rest of northern Europe and the northern Ameriucan colonies. Northern England was something of an exception.
Over time the Dame School appeared. These were coeducational schools. Apparently this was seen as acceptable because the children involved were so young. This occured after the Reformation because for the first time there were a lot oif literate wiomaen and few occuoations that they could pursue. The Dame school was a kind of private school for younger children taight by a woman, often a midded aged or elderly woman. Parents paid a woman of varies education to care for their younger children. Some were essentially baby sitting centers, but some actually did some real teaching--enough to begin reading the Bible. Town school began to appear (18th century). These were schools for younger children and in many, girls like in the Dame schools, might be admitted to study with the boys.
The Society of Friends (Quakers) in England and the United States were early adopters of coeducation. This followed the imprtant role of women in Quaker churches. Quaker settlements in the British colonies mostly adopted coeducation. Quakersweee, however, a traltively small, albeit influential sect. Some Quaker co-educational boarding schools were established before the 19th century.
In America, the new free public primary which after the American Revolution supplanted church institutions were almost always coeducational. It could hardly have been otherwise given the fact that most schools began as one room schools opened in rural areas. The Northwest Ordinance provided a means of financing public (state) schools as the frontier moved west. And as secondary schools were founded in America, they were mostly coeducatuonal. Most American publc secondary schools were coeducational at the turn of the 20th century. Private schools in America s in Brutgain continued to be mostly single gender schools. The universuty level was different. After the Revolution, many newly founded private colleges admitted women. This began with Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. Many state universities as they were founded followed this example. Some 70 percent of American colleges and universitiues were coeducational at the vturn of the 20th century which is interesting vevcause actual job opoenings for college educated women were limited. As the 20th century piogressed, formerly all male universities gradually shifted to cieducation. In Europe, especially Catholic Europe, coeducation was rare. An exceotion was the the Scandinavian countries. Germany was very different despite having a large Protestant population. Until very late in the 19th century, few girls were able to enter a secondary school. Even when girls' secondary schools appeared, the curciculum was very different with lower academic standards. There was cultural resisrtamce to educating girls. And when the NAZUs seized power (1930s) they made an effort to curtail this trend, especially at the university level. Thdy had very definite ideas about the role of women in German society--Kinder, Küche, Kirche. Interestingly, German education today is largely coeducationl at the primary level, but there still are many single-gender secondary schools. The bigest movemnent toward coeducation was made by the Communist Revolution in Russia (1917). All Communist or formner Communist countries today practice coeducation. A movement away from codeducation can be seen in the Muslim world. In most Arab countries, girls tend to drop out of coeducational schools at the age of puberty.
Britain also lagged behind many other Protestabt countries in state-financed education. A variety of effirts were nade in the 19th century to provide free or low-cost porinary education to childre, notably by religious or charitabke groups. Therewas a degree of coeducation in these early efforts. There was substantial resistance to it. Only when Parliament finally passed the Education Act of 1870 did Britain begin to build a major free national education system. This made school attendance to the age of 10 years compulsory. Parliamnent extenbded the age with the Education Act of 1880. But this did not mean coeducation. Far from it. Most of the new school were single gender schools. This was not unusual in Europe, but coeducation had been adopted in the United which established a national public education system (actually separate state systems) well before England. There were some coeducation in England, most commonly with younger children. We see codeduvatioin most commonly in small village that could not support two separate schools, like the school here in 1945 (figure 1). This varied a good deal because Parliament adopted no national policy. It was up to muncipal authories and in some cases the schools thenmselves. Thus we see some coeducation even in city schools. There are quite a few examples of this in the photographic record. Here is an examole of an unidentified school about 1910. Usually the children were seated aoart. Politics may have neen a factor. The rising Labour Party was mire nebbke to coeducation than the Liberals and Conservatives. Marx is seen by many as baically gender neutral, but this is not the cases of many Marxists who followed him. Even in primary schools with boys and girls, however, there were efforts to keep the boys and girls separate, such as separate classes and separate playgrounds (school yards). Over time, we see more and more schools in the 20th cebtury becoimning coeducational. This was particularly the case after World War II. Almost all primary education in the state system is now coeducational. Pruvate schools which cointinued to be mostly single-gender has followed in the same directiion during recent years.
English state schools did not include secondary schools until well into the 20th century. Grammar schools which were a kind of half step toward state secondary schools were almost all single gender schools. The world's oldest co-educational school may be Archbishop Tenison's Church of England High School, Croydon, (1714). The school admitted 10 boys and 10 girls from its opening, and remained co-educational thereafter. It was a day school and still oprrastes. This was however, for many years an exception. The move toward coeducation began at English universities. The same process occurred in the Continent. Coeducation in the secondary system continued to be limited until after World War II. It was more acceotabke for younger abd older students. But fir adiolescebnts it was seen as dangerous, The primary concern among parents and religuous leaders was sexual morality. [Brice]
Interestingly a coeducation argument was at first that it would improve academic standards for the boys. (Modern thinking is that single gender schools improve academic standards for the girls.)
Universities began to move toward coeducation ahead of the secoindary schools. Girton College at Cambridge was established for women (1869). The London School of Economics was opened for women (1874).
Private schools, both the preparatory schools and public (elite private boarding) schools were especially resistant to coeducation. Cathleen Cartland founded Ruckleigh School in Solihull as a non-denominational coeducational preparatory school (1909). John Haden Badley founded the public (elite private secondary-levei boarding) Bedales School (1893). He decuded to taked it coeducational (1898). Like Carland's school, here were few others for several decades. This only began to change in the 1970s when economic conditions started to force hirst smaller private schools to close. Many other schools soon followed, sometimnes grudgingly. [Skelton] Accepting girls enabled many schools, especially prep schools to maintain their rolls. Some parents preferred single-gender schools. The demands of modern society were another fctor. Parents with multiple children found in veryv demndung dealing with the different schedules and activities of in some cases multiple schools. One reoort froim Engkand claims that sringle-gender schools oare struggling. You never know, hiwever, with modern journalism if that is factual are what the jourblists desire. ["England’s single"]
Brice, Ian D. "%. The earky co-education movement in English secondary education," Critical Studies in Education Vol. 22, Issue 1 (1980), pp. 134-77.
Skelton, Christine. ed. "Whatever happens to little women?: Gender and primary schooling (London:. Open University Press, 1989).
"England’s single-sex schools are struggling to recruit pupils." The Economist (April 28, 2018).
Related Links: Careful this will exit you from the Boys' Historical Clothing web site, but both sites are highly recommended
Boys' Preparatory Schools: A lovely photographic essay on British Preparatory Schools during the 1980s with over 200 color and black and white photographs.
Apertures Press New Zealand eBbook: New eBook on New Zealand schools is available
Apertures Press British Preparatory School eBook Volume I: New eBook on Brirish preparatory schools is available
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
[The 1990s]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing School Uniform Pages
[Return to the Main English School Gender Page]
[Return to the Main English School Page]
[Return to the Main School Page]
[Australia]
[France]
[Germany]
[Italy]
[Japan]
[New Zealand]
[Scotland]
[United States]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Page
[About Us]
[Activities]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Debate]
[Economics]
[Garment]
[Gender]
[Hair]
[History]
[Home trends]
[Literary characters]
[School types]
[Significance]
[Transport and travel
[Uniform regulations]
[Year level]
[Other topics]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Return to the Historic Boys' School Home]
