Let's begin the discussion. And when I say discussion, I mean a one sided discussion where I do all the talking(typing) and you do all the listening (reading).

It began at the beginning of time. God created Earth, God created Man. And for Darwinists, time began when apes evolved into Man. Due to better judgment, God created Woman, not to entertain himself with all the conflict Man and Woman will eventually have, but because he believes that Man was incomplete without Woman. From the apes, well, the female apes evolved into Woman, obviously.

Let's skip ahead into modern times.

Our school defies and represses the natural instincts of our fellow Man and Woman. Students of Maktab Duli would be familiar with the gender separation in selected places. In the order of austerity, the gender segregation occurs in the library, dining hall, auditorium, canteen and the wide open spaces.

Upon the arrival of the writer to the college in 2006, the asinine idea of separating the male and female students was only imposed in the library, dining hall and auditorium. Due to administrative changes, the world we have come to know as a platform to better equip ourselves with the social and employment world has become the world of repression,obedience and conformity.

Let's take a deeper look into the situation. Firstly,the library. The fact that the people of authority think that students are unable to concentrate on their studies in the presence of the opposite sex is an insult in itself. The gender separation furthers the difference in academic achievement between boys and girls. Everyone knows that girls actually attain better grades than boys in education as a whole. Instead of trying to demolish the gap, the school in fact perpetuates this very disparity with its decision to separate the boys' and girls' seating in the library. Is the school motto not 'sharing is caring'? How are the girls suppose to share their knowledge outside the classroom about what is learnt inside the classroom when the one place designed for optimal learning represses this activity?

In the dining hall, some may be in agreement that there should be gender separation. Who wants the opposite sex to look at you chowing down your food when you have been starving for five hours? At the inconvenient incident of the 'food-stuck-between-your-teeth' scenario, it is just a 'die-of-embarrassment' moment. But come on, if you can't get over that little mortifying moment, how will you live on when life is clearly unfair and will try to embarrass you at every chance it gets.

The auditorium is the only place where the writer approves of the gender separation. The neat view of boys on one side and girls on the other (in some assemblies, boys upstairs and girls downstairs) is one to impress whoever the VIP is that is visiting Maktab Duli. It is a good image shown at the sacrifice of a minor bit of unity.

Only recently was the policy of gender separation imposed in the canteen. This came about with great cries of disapproval because the students believe that the authoritative personnels have taken things too far. The school is an important agent of secondary socialisation (i.e. socialisation after and outside the home). During this socialisation process, individuals learn to interact with other individuals and become familiar with the norms and values. The school probably defeats its own purpose by imposing the gender separation in the socialising 'hot spot'. It is already bad enough that we cannot casually study together (casually meaning outside the classroom in the library), now we cannot even casually mingle with our peers.

The wide open spaces referred to here is the space spanning from the V-bench till the Rejects corner. The writer does not disapprove of the gender separation here if it involves one student from each sex, especially if they are sitting comfortably (sometimes uncomfortably) close (yes, yes, she loves him, he loves her, stop showing off). If the fraternising process involves two or more members from each of the two sex counterparts, where is the harm in that? Those in administrative power do not strictly impose the gender segregation rule in these wide open spaces, so we thank god for that!

After covering all the vacinities where the gender division takes place, students in Maktab Duli cannot help but ask, 'What the hell?' School is suppose to be where we familiarise with the outside world (with limitations, of course). Especially from students of single-sex school origins (that include the writer herself), we ask, 'what is the big deal?' What is the immense harm in socialising with the oposite sex. If we live in a single-sex planet, there is no argument there. But no, fortunately, we do no live in a single-sex planet, nor a single-sex country.

The opposite sex will be there, whether we like it or not. In employment, most jobs requires us to work together, work for, co-operate and/or network with the opposite sex. School is suppose to prepare us for this, so why is a college imposing the absurd rule of gender separation? Just imagine, a new generation of workforce too shy to talk to the opposite sex. We shall all be doomed. Doomed, I say!

Let's not ignore the fact that the school imposes this rule for fear of socialisation that is of too close a proximity. Let's not ignore the other fact whereby we, a gender, are not as irresistible to the other as we would like to think we are. Do not expect us to jump at the most suitable partner at a moment's notice. It's not as if we are sixteen whereby our uncontrollable hormones causes us to drool uncontrollably at one of the opposite sex which we see as perfection. With that aside, shouldn't we be able to explore the prospective of finding our life partner in school? Isn't it a great idea to marry your college sweetheart than to marry a prospective partner you met not long ago only because your not getting any younger? To an extreme, the school's hidden curriculum perpetuates the idea of homosexuality. In the end, if we lose the fight against the powerful administration's ideology, we shall all be gays and lesbians.

To question the system is a very courageous, yet dangerous, step. This writer does not fear the system anymore as the supposedly all powerful teachers of Maktab Duli were subjected to criticism from the Man. The Man is the all powerful one that rules above any other authority. The Man came to visit our all so humble college this morning. The Man is the Minister of Education himself. The Man I have a new found respect for. The writer was not present during the assembly but was informed numerable times from numerable sources about what happened.

The writer discovered that the Minister had a very practical outlook on the gender division policy in Maktab Duli. To quote his colourful vocabulary, he opinionated that it was 'stupid'. Yes, straight from the Man himself. Let's just hope that the idea of the all dominant Man does not disappoint us and that he will make some changes in the college. Let us hope.

To end this blog entry, the writer would like to dedicate a song to those responsible for imposing the gender separation policy in Maktab Duli. Unfortunately, the writer does not know how to insert the codings for songs so you can just download the song yourself. Performed by Smash Mouth, this is 'Why Can't We Be Friends'.

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

I seen you 'round for a long long time
I really 'membered you when you drink my wine

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

I seen you walkin' down in Chinatown
I called you but you could not look around

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

I bring my money to the welfare line
I see you standing in it every time

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

The color of your skin don't matter to me
As long as we can live in harmony

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

I'd kinda like to be the President
so I can show you how your money's spent

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

Sometimes I don't speak too bright
but yet I know what I'm talking about

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

I know you're working for the CIA
they wouldn't have you in the Mafia

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?
Why can't we be friends?

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