Igros Moshe (Y.D. 01:137): Coeducation, for even the youngest children, is surely something that would not please our Sages. While small children experience neither temptation nor lewd thoughts, we must still train them to distance themselves from women. Yet when they study together, they become accustomed to closeness. They will remain accustomed to this when they grow up, as well, when they do face temptation, and the danger of lewd thought. Therefore, although there is no risk of breaking any prohibition now, our educational duty still stands." I am willing to be lenient in an emergency, where an all-girl school cannot be formed, and the alternative is public school." which teaches neither faith nor good deeds. Better that very young children, regarding whom the prohibition does not apply, should be educated in schools founded by the God-fearing, even if boys and girls study together. It is clear and simple that if there is any chance of founding an all-girl school, it must be done. Of course, slightly older children are legally forbidden'" to study either religious or secular subjects in such a school.
First, Chazal would not have been happy with coeducation because theyu wouldn't have been happy with women getting educated in the first place.
ReplyDeleteSecond, okay, our small community has a coed school through to grade 8 because we're not rich which means accepting the entire community. If we tried to make separate schools, the non-religious families would all pull out, leaving a few dozen kids. Are you going to find us a multibillionaire willing to fund the two schools? No, then stop complaining. We're doing the best we can with the little we have.