Passage One

Imagining being asked to spend twelve or so years of your life in a society which consisted only of members of your own . How would you react Unless there was something definitely wrong with you, you wouldn’t be too happy about it, to say the least. It is all the more surprising therefore that so many parents in the world choose to impose such abnormal conditions on their children--conditions which they themselves wouldn’t put up with for one minute! Any discussion of this topic is bound to question the alms of education. Stuffing children’s heads full of knowledge is far from-being foremost among them. One of the chief aims of educations is to equip future citizens with all they require to take their place in society. Now society is made up of men and women, so how can a segregated (隔离的) school possibly offer the right sort of preparation for it Anyone entering society after years of segregation can only be in for a shock. A co-educational school offers children nothing less than a true version of society in miniature (缩影). Boys and girls are given the opportunity to get to know each other, to learn to live together from their earliest years. They are put in a position where they can compare themselves with each other in terms of academic ability, athletic achievement and many of the extra-curricular activities which are part of school life. When segregated, boys and girls are made to feel that they are a race apart. Rivalry between the es is fostered. In a co-educational school, everything falls into its proper place. But perhaps the greatest contribution of co-education is the healthy attitude to life it encourages. Boys don’t grow up believing that women are mysterious creatures, fairy goddesses, more like book-illustrations to a fairy-tale, than human beings. Girls don’t grow up imagining that men are romantic heroes. Years of living together at school clear off illusions of this kind. The awkward stage of adolescence (青春期) brings into sharp focus some of the physical and emotional problems involved in growing up. These can better be overcome in a co-educational environment. When the time comes for the pupils to leave school, they are fully prepared to enter society as well-adjusted s. They have already had years of experience in coping with many of the problems that face men and women.

According to the author, education should chiefly be designed to