Over the last five years, males and females have been seen increasingly coexisting together in workplaces, commercial establishments, state institutions and other places. They also study, travel together from one place to another inside and outside the country. However, coeducation has seen strong supporters on the one hand, and those who call for cancelling it in all schools throughout the country on the other.

Most preachers reject coeducation as they see it to be a reproduction of foreign customs.

They refer to the recent studies that blame low education achievement on coeducation. They as well disclose illegal relations that could develop between male and female students because of coeducation.

However, proponents of coeducation maintain that such an education could do helpful for both genders in the future as it leaves no space for shyness, hinting this facilitates the task before any future work of mixed nature.

Omar Saleh, a student, supports the idea of coeducation and asserts that coeducation forces the male student to study well in order to appear in a positive image before females.

Ahmed agrees with Omar and states that coeducation helps students of both sexes reflect their abilities.

Nada sees coeducation to be better and hints that aberrancy is always there even in segregated places stressing, “We learn everything through mixing with others.”

The same opinion is adopted by Mariam who declares that mixed universities are good; emphasizing that dealing with men is unavoidable in daily life. She added that the situation depends on the way of upbringing of the person and asserted that aberrancy is heard of even in unmixed universities.

In return, Hind Ali, a university student pointed out that she prefers  unmixed education; however, university provides no separate education for girls, stressing that tight and immodest dressing is responsible for attracting male youth.

A Sana’a university official supports the existence of both mixed and unmixed universities, considering it to be the best way that fits into the nature of Yemeni and most Arab societies. Thus, the student has more than one option and he can choose what he wants.

He also admits that some behavioral aberrancy occurs in mixed universities; however, he assures that his university tries its best to safeguard the traditions of Arab and Muslim societies.

Further, he notes that there are restricting rules to be followed and any student who commits illegal and dishonorable acts will be dismissed.

Yemeni males and females are separated in secondary and basic schools across the nation; however, there exists coeducation in areas where there are no female schools.

Devil’s door

A teacher of Arabic Language in a secondary school refuses the idea of coeducation altogether and reveals that a student failed his exams after he fell in love with his female teacher, stressing this opens the door for evil.