THE PROBLEM OF COEDUCATION IN THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL WAS DISCUSSED. REASONS FOR REEVALUATING THE PRESENT SITUATION WERE GIVEN. LOWER-CLASS MALE YOUNGERSTERS LEARNED AN EXAGGERATED AGGRESSIVENESS BASED PARTLY ON INSECURITY, THEREFORE THEY HAD TO ASSERT AND DEFEND THEIR IMAGE OF MALENESS IN THE CLASSROOM. THE NEGRO YOUNGSTER, RAISED IN A MATRIARCHAL FAMILY SYSTEM, WAS OFTEN CONFUSED IN SEX-ROLE IDENTIFICATION, AND THE COMPETITIVE CLASSROOM GRADED ACCORDING TO AGE AND ABILITY WAS MORE CONFUSING FOR HIM SINCE IT WAS NOT GRADED BY SEX. EVEN ON SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS SEXUAL IDENTIFICATION OF YOUNG BOYS AND GIRLS WAS BOTH CONFUSED AND COMPETITIVE. ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR BOYS WAS THE ESTABLISHED FACT THAT GIRLS MATURE SOONER THAN BOYS, AND THAT THE SUPERIORITY IN VERBAL SKILLS OF GIRLS WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THIS EARLIER MATURATION. THUS BOYS WERE FORCED TO DISPLAY THEIR MASCULINE ROLE THROUGH DEFIANCE AND EXHIBITION. SINCE CHILDREN IN LOW-INCOME ENVIRONMENTS WERE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND COMPETITIVE, GIRLS MORE OPENLY AND ASSERTIVELY CHALLENGED THE BOYS' SELF-IMAGE. THUS THE BOYS' BASIC INSECURITY WAS INTENSIFIED. THOUGH NO EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM COULD ELIMINATE COMPETITION FOR SUCCESS AMONG CHILDREN, IT, IF PROPERLY ORGANIZED, COULD REDUCE THE NEED FOR PHYSICAL PROWESS AND REBELLIOUSNESS. IF NOT, BOYS WOULD RENOUNCE ACTIVITIES WHICH THEY IDENTIFIED WITH GIRLS. A COEDUCATIONAL CLASS WAS THE PERFECT PLACE WHERE MASCULINE INDEPENDENCE COULD BE PROVED BY RENOUNCING THE INSTITUTION. WITH THE RENUNCIATION OF SCHOOL AND THE FAILURE IT WOULD BRING TO THEM, BOYS WERE MORE CONFUSED WITH THEIR SEXUAL IDENTIFICATION AND SELF-IMAGE. THUS 60 PERCENT TO 80 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS IN HONORS CLASSES IN NEGRO COMMUNITIES WERE GIRLS. ELIMINATION OF COEDUCATIONAL EDUCATION IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL WAS THE ANSWER.