Прочитайте текст и скажите, какие аргументы выдвигает автор против раздельного обучения мальчиков и девочек в современной школе.

Co-education

Imagine being asked to spend twelve or so years of your life in a society which consisted only of members of your own sex. 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 aims of education. Stuffing children's heads full of knowledge is far from being foremost among them. One of the chief aims of education is to equip future citizens with all they require to take their place in adult society. Now adult society is made up of men and women, so how can a segregated school possibly offer the right sort of preparation for it? Anyone entering adult 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. 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. What a practical advantage it is (to give just a small example) to be able to put on a school play in which the male parts will be taken by boys and the female parts by girls! What nonsense co-education makes of the argument that boys are cleverer than girls or vice-versa. When segregated, boys and girls are made to feel that they are a race apart. Rivalry between the sexes is fostered. In a co­educational 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 - airy 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 dispel illusions of this kind. There are no goddesses with freckles, pigtails, piercing voices and inky fingers. There are no romantic heroes with knobbly knees, dirty fingernails and unkempt hair. The awkward stage of adolescence 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, Segregated schools sometimes provide the right conditions for sexual deviation. This is hardly possible under a co-educational system. When the time comes for the pupils to leave school, they are fully prepared to enter society as well-adjusted adults. They have already had years of experience in coping with many of the problems that face men and women.

2.2.3. Прочитайте следующие высказывания. Исправьте неверные высказывания в соответствие с содержанием текста:

1. The discussion of co-educational school is based on the question of the aims of education.

2. The main aim of education is to give much knowledge for the future profession.

3. Segregated school prepares children for life in the adult society.

4. Anyone from segregated school will fill well when they find themselves in the adult society.

5. A co-educational school is an adult society in miniature.

6. At a segregated school boys and girls have possibility to get to know each other.

7. At a segregated school children learn to live together from the earliest years.

8. Extra-curricular activities are part of adult life.

9. A co-educational school has got only disadvantages.

10. The main argument for the co-education is that boys are cleverer than girls or vice-versa.

11. The co-education makes boys and girls different races.

12. At the co-educational school girls grow up imagining that man are romantic heroes.

2.2.4. Заполните пропуски следующими словами:

conditions together be taken illusions awkward enter the aims require terms proper goddesses provide

1. The discussion of this topic is bound to question ….. of education.

2. They choose to impose such abnormal …… on their children.

3. One of the chief aims of education is to equip future citizens with all they ……

4. They learn to live ….. from their earlier years.

5. They can compare themselves with each other in ….. of academic ability.

6. The male parts will ….. by boys and the female parts by girls.

7. In a co-educational school everything falls into its ….. place.

8. Years of living together at school dispel ….. of this kind.

9. There are no ….. with freckles.

10. The ….. stage of adolescence brings into sharp focus some of the physical and emotional problems.

11. Segregated schools sometimes ….. the right condition for sexual deviation.

12. When the time comes they are fully prepared to ….. society as …..adults.

2.2.5. Прокомментируйте следующие высказывания:

1. If you want to be successful you must look successful.

2. There is only one success – to spend your life in your own way.

3. All want to possess knowledge but few comparatively speaking are willing to pay the price.

4. Everybody is ignorant only on different subjects.

5. Most ignorance is possible to overcome. We don’t know because we don’t want to know.

6. Ignorance is the night of the mind but the night without moon or stars.