Passage Fifteen (Contribution of Coeducation)

       Imagining being asked to spend twelve or so years of your life in a society which consisted only of members of 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 educations 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 girl 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.

1.       What is the best title for this passage?
[A] only co-education can be in harmony with society.
[B] people are in great need of co-education.
[C] any form of education other than co-education is simply unthinkable.
[D] co-education has many features.

2.       what does co-education offer to children?
[A] A society.
[B] A true small model of society.
[C] A real life.
[D] True version of social condition.

3.       According to the passage, what is one of the chief aims of education?
[A] It is for students to acquire knowledge.
[B] It is to equip future citizens with scientific technology.
[C] It is to equip future citizens with what is required in getting a position in society.
[D] It is for students to get academic achievements.

4.       Why do boys and girls in co-education have no illusion about each other?
[A] They live together and know each other too well.
[B] Years of living together at school dismiss such illusion.
[C] co-education encourage them to have an healthy attitude toward life.
[D] They are familiar with each other’s problems.

“從這樣的經歷中學習到的態度，對一生的影響，遠超過每天多讀一、兩小時的書，和大考多拿的二、三十分。其實，對她們來說，參加樂儀旗隊，對功課的影響真的也沒那麼大，經過團體的訓練、懂得自制、自立，對唸書的幫助是相當大的，正面的影響遠超過唸書時間可以衡量的。”

這位家長說的話是對的。記得以前﹐北一女樂儀隊﹐幾乎每一年都會出幾個聯考狀元﹐她們的平均聯考成績﹐也比其他同學好。

當然﹐這跟當時的選拔標準就有關係﹐身高條件是外在標準﹐最重要的是要參加儀隊﹐平均要最少八十分﹐要參加樂隊﹐更必須是學業成績全班前五名。這樣的要求﹐是因為樂儀隊的訓練﹐必須付出大量的時間﹐那些孩子﹐必須保證是學業成績已達一定標準﹐行有餘力﹐才能從事這樣耗時的課外活動。

其實﹐年輕孩子﹐參加社團﹐最重要的是學習付出跟團隊精神﹐還有﹐學習怎樣平衡自己的時間跟生活裡的紀律。這些﹐實在是訓練一個人的人格特質跟強度非常重要的關鍵﹐這些﹐都不是單單努力讀書考高分可以得到的。

孩子不願意再參加社團付出﹐這其實不過是整個社會人心越來越現實自私的一個縮影表現罷了。

至於說﹐“建中能﹐北一女就是不能”﹐這樣的話﹐阿甲要是三十年前聽到﹐一定會覺得非常刺耳﹐不過﹐自己如今走過半場人生﹐看事情的角度畢竟寬廣了些﹐深深覺得兩性之間的差異﹐有很多主觀﹑客觀跟文化上原因﹐像這樣男生能﹐女生就是不能的說法非常制式﹐也把事情過份簡單化。同樣的﹐我們辦三十年同學會﹐我們也可以說﹐北一女能﹐建中就是不能﹐如果不是像02跟她的姊妹後援團這樣的女同學大力幫忙﹐男生要自己辦一個成功的同學會﹐是很困難的事﹐找人都不知道上哪裡去找。

阿甲三十多年前﹐看到建中的校刊﹐就非常神往﹐覺得那真是集才子之大成的超高水準刊物﹐內容非常活潑﹑充滿創意。看到自己學校北一女的校刊﹐真是覺得相形見絀﹐既八股又制式﹐簡而言之﹐就是有點太規矩了﹐讓人覺得處處都是無形的條框。可是﹐那時的小阿甲跟很多像小阿甲一樣的同學﹐雖然覺得不對﹐但自己既稚嫩害羞﹐也沒有勇氣脫離傳統對女孩子的有形跟無形限制﹐別的不說﹐阿甲在北一女三年﹐從來沒有去校刊上寫過半個字。

北一女的小女生﹐當然能﹐而且幾乎無所不能﹐只是﹐社會文化傳統﹐從小就常常告訴小女生﹐妳這不能﹑那不能﹐同樣的這許多限制﹐加諸於男孩子的﹐就要少很多。女校校風之所以不像男校那樣開放﹑自由﹑活潑﹐實在是其來有自。

總之﹐這篇文章標題是“建中能﹐北一女就是不能”﹐與其說﹐聽來刺耳﹐不如說﹐更多的是感慨。主事的大人們﹐確實該好好想想﹐一群全國最精英的少女們交到你們手裡﹐你們是幫助她們發揮所有可能的潛能﹐還是只是以保護為名﹐實質卻是加給她們很多不必要的限制﹐扼殺了她們原本無窮的潛力。

建中樂旗隊日前赴義大利米蘭參加世界樂旗大賽勇奪冠軍，不料，事後卻爆出建中私邀女校同團出訪的案外案。原來，建中樂旗隊出訪成員中還有北一女、中山女高、景美女高的旗隊同學，但三所女校對於有多少學生參與其中竟然「霧煞煞」！ 

由於建中對外宣稱是「建中樂旗隊」得獎，三所女校也不以為然，不平叫屈，認為應共享此一榮耀。

建中樂旗隊家長後援會會長陳美麗表示，之所以納入北一女中、中山女高、景美女高旗隊，是希望透過校際相互支援的方式，以最優秀及堅強的陣容為台灣奪冠。她強調，這次是以社團名義出訪參賽，出訪的學生都是由家長向建中社團提出申請。

以「社團」邀十七女 女校全不知情

陳美麗表示，此次建中樂旗隊赴米蘭參加世界樂旗大賽，成員包括建中五十九名、北一女中十一名、中山女高五名、景美女高一名，總計七十六名學生。..............

看到隔壁的上述報導，覺得很有趣。

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花姑姑,基測是"基本學力測驗"的簡稱,也就是過去的聯考啦!像我們學校這學期一開學,就辦了一次模擬基測的考試,內容是上學期(國一)教過的範圍,所以我們寒假都在家裡溫書,好可憐唷!