CO-EDUCATION IN AMERICA
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Sue,—In your issue of March 30th I have read with great interest the article by Mr. J. L. Paton on " Alternatives to the Public Schools." In it there is one statement which, while not important in itself, is far too much of a generalization and which gives a false impression. In the final paragraph it says " On one side of the Atlantic co-education is the regular practice." Not by any stretch of fancy or thought could co-education be called the " regular practice." Our " public " or government schools have co-education, but it is unusual in the East for your " public " school type of child to go to a government school. In all my very wide range of accquaintance I can think of only three families in Philadelphia where this was done. It is done sometimes in small New England towns where there is no foreign or coloured element. It is true that the Society of Friends run co-educational schools, but they care for a very small proportion of the children.
The East is filled with first-class boarding schools that correspond to your public schools, and to these boys or girls come from all over the United States, but they are no more co-educational than Eton and Roedean.—I am, Sir, &c., Overbrook, Pennsylvania. Supervisor of Lower School.
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