co-education

A boy and a girl work together on a science project in their co-education classroom.

Definition

Noun (uncountable): A system of education in which students of both sexes (males and females) are taught together in the same schools and classes.

Usage Examples

• (Both boys and girls are taught together.)
• (Male and female students have always been enrolled together.)
• (The system of mixed-gender teaching is compared to separate schools for each sex.)

Advanced Usage

• "to promote co-education": to advocate for the integration of male and female students in educational institutions.
  • The government launched a campaign to promote co-education in rural areas. (To encourage mixed-gender schooling in less developed regions.)
• "the co-education system": the organizational structure that allows both sexes to learn together.
  • The co-education system has been shown to improve social skills. (The mixed-gender teaching arrangement benefits interpersonal development.)

Variants and Related Words

• Co-educational (adjective): relating to or involving the education of both sexes together.
  • They enrolled their child in a co-educational school. (A school where boys and girls learn together.)
• Co-educate (verb): to educate males and females together.
  • The new policy aims to co-educate students from all backgrounds. (To teach both sexes in the same institution.)

Synonyms

• Mixed-sex education: education provided jointly to male and female students.
• Integrated education: refers to the inclusion of different groups, including both sexes.
• Co-schooling: a less common term for the same concept.

Related Idioms

• "The battle of the sexes": a humorous or serious competition or conflict between men and women, sometimes used in discussions of co-education dynamics.
  • In co-education, the battle of the sexes often plays out in classroom debates. (The competition between male and female students is a common theme.)
• "A level playing field": a situation in which everyone has the same opportunities, often applied to co-education.
  • Co-education aims to create a level playing field for all students. (Equal opportunities for both sexes in learning.)