Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
Islam does not explicitly forbid mixed-sex education. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), men and women shared public spaces such as mosques and markets without partitions. Islam emphasizes modesty and proper behavior between genders. Therefore, co-education is permissible in Islam as long as interactions adhere to Islamic guidelines that prevent immodesty and inappropriate conduct.
In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
There is nothing in Islam that forbids girls and boys are sharing the classrooms as long as they conform to the Islamic guidelines governing male-female interactions.
Men and women used to share public spaces including mosques and markets during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and there was no concept of physical partition.
Islamic guidelines in this regard above all stress modesty and shunning of undue display of charm eliciting lustful stares and advances.
As long as these guidelines are observed, there is no reason to ban co-education.
Turn to the following fatwas for expanded details:
- Is Sex Education Allowed?
- Is Husband Responsible for Wife’s Education Fees?
- I Have Become Religious, But Co-Education Is an Obstacle: What To Do?
- Does Husband Have Say on Wife’s Education?
- Can We Use Interest Money for Education?
- Can a Muslim Girl Travel Alone for Education?
Allah Almighty knows best.