No no-ed schools

[Seshadri Sridharan]

No co-ed schools

Baba's teaching about how our Ananda Marga schools should be run is very straightforward. 


Procedural Order:
Ananda Marga schools must not be co-ed

Here following is Baba's own Procedural Order which states that our Ananda Marga schools must not be co-ed once children have reached the age of puberty.

No question of co-education after reaching adolescence

Given Baba's above Procedural Order and His manner of establishing and running Ananda Marga schools, the point is crystal clear: After primary school, all Ananda Marga educational institutions must be single sex. Once boys and girls reach the pre-pubescent age (10 - 12) then our Ananda Marga schools must not be co-ed. That means our Ananda Marga high schools, colleges and universities must also be single-sex. 

Conclusion:
school is for learning not animalistic propensities

Here we have to remember that our AMPS system of education is for the all-round growth of human beings in all spheres of life. AM teachings encourage proper learning and sentient conduct. In contrast, in those lands where males and females study together in high schools and universities, the entire campus becomes a breeding ground for rampant sexual behaviour, date-rape, and deviant activity. In such conditions, learning is secondary and the youths become completely overwrought with other desires, i.e. the opposite sex. So learning becomes an afterthought and animal behaviours are encouraged in such schools. And it is not the students fault per se. 

Sadly, those school administrators of coed schools are only interested in collecting a high tuition and do not concern themselves with moral codes and the right conduct of those youths. But this is not the way in AMPS educational system. Ananda Marga is interested in educating the whole human personality so students develop into high-minded citizens. AM does not want our students drowned in sexual dealings as happens in co-ed institutions. That is why it is so shameful to see what Dr. Jitendra Singh Australia is doing by making the Ananda Marga junior high school at Jaunpur co-educational.

In Him,
Vidya Rashmi

~ In-depth study ~

Here below is Baba's guideline about how AMPS has separate, parallel learning institutions for men and women.

Baba says, "From today itself, a Homeo-College, Electro-Homeo College and Ayurvedic College have been opened in Anandanagar. From tomorrow, a medical school is being opened for the training in different “pathies” A separate institution for girls is being opened at Uma Nivas. Certificate courses in NATAC (Naturopathy, Acupuncture and Chandsi) are also going to be offered soon. I hear that from 3rd October, 1990, a music college and fine arts college will be opened. A Textile Institute is also to be started soon in order to provide the textile-training for improving the self-reliance of the people. A branch of the same can also be opened for ladies." (1)

Only our primary schools are co-ed; beyond that any school for adolescents and above such as our middle schools, junior high schools, high schools, colleges, technical institutions, and universities are all 100% single sex institutions. That is the approach according to Ananda Marga teachings. Before '90, no school in AMPS that served students of puberty age and older was co-ed.


Start primary schools everywhere - not high schools

Here Baba guides us that ideally we are to concern ourselves with starting primary schools. That will have a very great impact on those children and society. In contrast, running a high school that is against our Ananda Marga standards - as Dr. Jitendra Singh Australia has done - has no real value. Rather it undermines our approach and aims. That is Baba’s below guideline and warning. 

Ananda Marga philosophy says, "We must start primary schools throughout the entire world to create a spiritual urge amongst the little pupils. I am not in favour of starting colleges; I am in favour of starting primary schools. In the entire world we have got one degree college at Ananda Nagar and thousands of kindergarten schools. That is why it is desirable in the first phase to start many primary schools instead of colleges. Merely opening high schools and colleges without a proper system of education will not serve the purpose. Rather, thousands of kindergarten and primary schools must be started with this new system of education, to create a spiritual urge amongst children throughout the entire world." (2)

Separation of sexes in AMPS

And this is purely in line with Baba's divine teachings of keeping separation between men and women. In so many places Baba discusses how males and females should not create friendships nor gossip with one another.

Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, "It should be remembered that a woman’s friend is a woman and a man’s friend is a man." (3)

Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, "Men and women...should not engage in gossip as its results are not beneficial." (4)

Ananda Marga Caryacarya says, “Unrelated men and women should not touch one another as far as possible" (5)

Given the above rules, it is but natural that boys and girls of age should not be classmates. Such an approach would contravene Baba's stated rules.

And indeed, no school under Baba's direct watch was co-ed. Not only that, but in our Marga everything is divided along the lines of gender. Separate rows for dharmachakra, separate reportings, separate LFT & WT training centres, separate organisation and hierarchy. Everything is separate. In addition, Baba would not allow male teachers to teach girls, nor did He allow female teachers to instruct boys in our schools for teenagers. There was no crossover whatsoever.