MARYANN AYIM

The important social question, Should public education be gender free? is a
complex one to which no obvious and easy answer corresponds. Nor does the
prior query, What does freedom from gender entail? admit of a clear answer.
Gender free cannot be identified in any straightforward sense with nonsexist,
for a social scheme that takes cognizance of and makes allowance for the
childbearing capacity of women, for example, may well be nonsexist but will
not normally be gender free.

In the next three chapters, three contrasting possibilities will be ex-
plored -- a gender-laden scheme that is sexist, a gender-free scheme that is
nonsexist, and a gender-laden scheme that is nonsexist. Our first chapter in
this subpart will be devoted to an explication and critical analysis of the tradi-
tional view that holds females and males to be different in respects that justify
male dominance and female subservience in the social order. This traditional
stance answers a decided No to our question Should public education be
gender free? Our second chapter, answering the question in the affirmative,
will present a feminist perspective based on a gender-free scheme. Our third
chapter, by contrast, will provide a negative reply to the question, developing
a contrasting feminist perspective based on a gender-laden scheme.

Each of the three chapters will explain the function of public education
and the implications for actual classroom practice from within the context of
the position being developed.

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