WAEC 1989 ENGLISH THEORY QUESTION
1. Your school has been invited to participate in a debate on the topic: Co-education in secondary schools should be abolished. Write out your speech for or against the motion.

Sample Answer

CO-EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS SHOULD BE ABOLISHED

Mr. Chairman, panel of the judges, moderator, ladies and gentlemen, fellow debaters and students, I hereby counter the motion which states that co-education in secondary schools should be abolished. First, it is necessary to define what co-education means for better understanding of the topic. Co-education is an arrangement whereby female and male students are brought under the same roof for the purpose of learning and exchange of ideas during learning process. My contention is that such an arrangement should be encouraged in our educational system. The reasons are as follows: God created all animals, male and female. This is more so in our human families where husbands and wives, brothers and sisters co-habit. Since the school is one of the most essential human institutions it will be an aberration for youngmen and women not to learn about themselves in the same school, society, and subjects that are supposed to increase their happiness separately. Co-education increases mutual understanding. Co-education promotes or enables unity among people particularly between men and women. Unity can only be promoted if different male and female students learn together and understand themselves better.

Co-education makes it possible for our future fathers and mothers to be exposed to the same and equal training devoid of discrimination and injustice. It is a truism that whatever is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

Separate schools for boys and girls is hypocritical. It generates suspicion and gender curiosity which is counter productive. Experience or observations have shown that girls from an all-females school are always unduly or foolishly excited about boys whenever they occasionally meet them during extra curricula activities within their school or outside. Ditto for boys from all boys college. This enables such boys and girls to do foolish immoral things during such meets at the expense of what they are supposed to be there for.

Co-education systematically and naturally gives practical and balanced orientation to the young boys and girls. The principal and staff always teach the mixed students not to be excited about the other because they will soon be in positions to marry and live together in matrimony. There is no basis for their separate training while in school because of some obscurantists or mysterious teachings of misguided religionists and moral bigots. It is better for young girls and boys to begin to study and know themselves under their teachers if we desire a society where peaceful marriages and happy homes will flourish.

Male and female students from mixed schools easily adjust themselves in the society, having acquired exposure and mutual understanding. In fact, the rights of women in the society emanate from the orientation received from co-educational institutions. Giving practical and balanced orientation to boys and girls at equal level makes co-education worthwhile.

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