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Debate on in Doon over whether to admit girls

View: Co-education makes for holistic individuals
A school tradition is fine and, in fact, desirable so long as it's one of excellence in studies, sports, extra-curricular activities and overall character development. But when a tradition fails to deliver by becoming unduly restrictive or out of sync with contemporary society, it defeats its own

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avowed purpose. Take corporeal punishment, for example. Up to only a few decades back caning was not only traditional in schools but a ritualised institution by itself. No headmaster believed in sparing any number of rods in order to spoil the children in his care.

Today, the thought of a grown person raining blows on a helpless teenager is considered not only repugnant by society in general, but also believed to be counterproductive in the larger exercise of learning by both educationists and child psychologists alike.

It's the same thing with the tradition of single-sex schools. They were conceived in an era when gender roles were quite different. Men benefited from one kind of education such as the armed forces or physical sciences and women from another like home economics or the liberal arts. Today, however, that notion has become an anachronism especially with both men and women increasingly blurring the boundaries of their respective vocations.

So much so that a schoolboy who has not developed a normal healthy attitude towards girls through constant interaction with them might very well find when he gets his first job that his boss is a woman. Besides, educational standards are bound to go up in a co-educational community with art, drama, music and debate all profiting from the mix. And given the trend that girls achieve better results, the boys would at least end up trying harder than they do now.

Counterview: Don't change the unique character of the school
After St Stephen's, it is Doon School's turn to become the victim of a misplaced sense of political correctness. It is under pressure to go co-educational. If it goes through, it would be breaking a tradition which has held since 1936. While it is true that educational institutions must keep up with the times, making Doon co-ed would change its very character. Many parents opt for Doon as they believe the ambience in the school, its teaching methods and extra-curricular schedule contribute to moulding the personalities of their sons. They feel that the boys are able to focus on laying the foundations for their future in the absence of any distractions. Opening the portals of the institution to girls would entail a sea change in the school's environment. It is specious to say that those emerging from co-ed schools are better able to integrate with society or are better equipped to interact with women.

We have examples of eminent personalities who graduated from Doon and not only integrated with society but became pillars of it. Rajiv Gandhi, writers Amitava Ghosh and Vikram Seth are among them just to mention a few. In this age of television and Internet, children can learn all they need to know about the society they will eventually enter. To bar girls from Doon is not being discriminatory. The school's founding fathers had a vision for the institution which must be respected. There are a number of very well-known and reputable schools for girls in the area. Those who have the where-withal to aspire to Doon can easily gain admission to these schools. To insist on making Doon co-ed is merely to score a meaningless point. It would be to sound the death knell of one of India's best known institutions of excellence.