coeducation

American  

[koh-ej-oo-key-shuhn] / ˌkoʊ ɛdʒ ʊˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the joint education of the sexes at the same institution and in the same classes.

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coeducation British  

/ ˌkəʊɛdjʊˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. instruction in schools, colleges, etc, attended by both sexes

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• coeducational
  adjective
• coeducationally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of coeducation

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; co- + education

Explanation

When kids of all genders attend school together, it's called coeducation. Before the 19th century, all-girl and all-boy schools were much more common than coeducation. Coeducation is the norm in Western countries, where single-sex schools are the exception to the rule. In majority Muslim countries, it’s far more common to have separate schools for boys and girls. A British school, Archbishop Tenison's Church of England High School, is the oldest known school to embrace coeducation, admitting both girls and boys when it opened in 1714. Coeducation dates from the 1850s, adding the prefix co- ("together") to education.