CO-EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Co-Educational sports fit readily into much of the recreational program.
They are excellent for social training. They can be very popular. They should
be more widely used.

In most schools, the boys and girls play together and recite together up to
and including the sixth grade; thereafter, they recite together. There are many
good reasons why boys and girls should have separate physical education classes
and separate parts of the playground, but there is no reason why they should not
play together occasionally under school supervision. Social ease is important
and promoted by acquaintance. The boys can learn consideration in their attitudes
toward girls, and the girls can learn sportsmanship in their play relationships
with the boys. Many activities lend themselves to joint participation. Points
may be given, if desired, in the intramural setup to those who take part. Play
days or sports days seem to be the usual method for handling co-education as part
of the intramural sports program. Social dancing has played a large role in co-
education and, at the present time, it is being accepted as a legitimate activity
for the school to sponsor.

Whenever anyone suggests co-educational activities, social dancing is thought
of first. This activity is excellent if it is handled properly. In some sections
social dancing is a moral issue in the minds of many people, and for that reason
the heads of school systems must know their community before introducing social
dancing as a curricular activity or even as an extra-curricular activity. About
two years ago the newspapers carried accounts of local school turmoil in a fairly
large city in the middle west. A woman teacher of physical education was giving
free lessons in dancing after school to a group of voluntary pupils. It was
necessary to stop the lessons, and dancing became a major issue in the school
election.

In the winter of 1936 the physical education teachers of a large high school
with an enrollment of 2000 students decided to put the boys' and girls! physical
education classes together for social dancing lessons each Friday for a ten-week
period during the winter season. The classes were combined and lessons in social
dancing were given. From the standpoint of the teachers, the lessons progressed
very nicely and the pupils were apparently enthusiastic. But on Monday morning
the Superintendent's office called and said, "No more dancing". However, the
principal asked the teachers to give lessons after school. This was done and 300
boys and girls were given lessons in the girls' gymnasium. These lessons were
considered an. intramural activity and each student was credited with participa-
tion in social dancing in the spring intramural reports.

At the Oread Training School, University of Kansas, co-educational activities,
including folk dancing, have been provided on Fridays during the winter months.
Two Fridays were spent in a recreational sports day in which badminton, deck
tennis, tether ball, ping pong and free throwing were the activities. Social
dancing came in for several lessons and the activities were finished by a re-
ception and tea, at which dancing had a part. Here the students manage the
activities and display their abilities to act correctly at social functions.

The University of Kansas has its department of physical education for both
men and women in the same building, and co-educational activities have been run
in the regular physical education classes for several years. A similar arrange-
ment is found at Springfield, Missouri State Teachers and a number of other