est, co-education was
strongly preferred in elementary and secondary schools and in
universities on the further ground that it was believed to be more in
accordance with the democratic principle of equal educational
opportunity for the two sexes.

It should be added, however, that the leaven of Pestalozzi's thought has
worked powerfully both in Europe and America in favour of the idea of
co-education. His view was that all educational institutions should, as
far as possible, be modelled upon the analogy of the family and of the
home. At Stanz (1798-1799) he educated together in one household boys
and girls ranging in age from five to fifteen. At Burgdorf (1799-1804)
his work was in part co-educational. At Yverdun (1804-1825) Pestalozzi
established a school for girls close to his school for boys. The girls
received instruction from some of the masters of the boys' school, and
girls and boys met at evening worship, in short excursions and at other
times.

In England, the Society of Friends have been the pioneers of
co-education in boarding schools, both for younger children and for
pupils up to fifteen or sixteen years of age. The practice of the
society, though not exclusively co-educational, has long been favourable
to co-education, either in its complete or restricted form, as being
more in harmony with the conditions of family life. Ackworth school was
established by the London Yearly Meeting in 1779 for the education of
boys and girls; but the school has never been fully co-educational, the
boys and girls being taught separately except in a few classes. At
Sidcot school, which was founded in 1808 by the Associated Quarterly
Meetings in the west of England for the education of children of
Friends, boys and girls are taught together, except in certain
handicraft subjects. Several other co-educational schools were founded
by the Society of Friends during the first half of the 19th century.

Since that time the movement towards co-education in secondary schools
and universities has steadily gained strength in England. It has been
furthered by the diffusion of Pestalozzian ideas and also by the
influence of American example. In England, private schools have made
some of the most valuable co-educational experiments. A private boarding
and day secondary school on co-educational lines was instituted by Mr W.
A. Case in Hampstead in 1865. A co-educational boarding-school was
founded in 1869 by Miss Lushington at Kingsley n