St Paul’s College in Gilles Plains to become co-educational with female students from 2022
From 2022, St Paul’s College will welcome girls – an overwhelmingly supported change after 60 years, to prepare their students for the world beyond school.
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After more than 60 years as a boys’ school, St Paul’s College in Gilles Plains will become coeducational from 2022.
“The timing is right, currently the college has its highest number of students in its 63-year history – more than 750 – and is in a very strong position financially,’’ principal Paul Belton said.
“We believe that a coeducational education will prepare our students for the world beyond school where they will live and work.
“A coeducational learning environment will encourage traits including tolerance, respect, initiative, service, resilience and co-operation.”
The school surveyed parents, staff, students in years 5 to 12, past students and the local community about becoming coeducational, soliciting 1100 responses.
The survey recorded an overwhelming vote in favour of the change, including more than two thirds of parents and 85 per cent of staff who said it would enhance learning, the school’s identity and students’ wellbeing.
Initially, girls will be accepted in reception through to and including Year 8, with the school then growing to become fully coeducational through to year 12 by 2026.
Being debt free, the school would have capacity for capital works to expand to about 900 to 950 students.
“We’ll be undertaking significant renovations and building work,” Mr Belton said.
The school is part of Catholic Education SA but is financially independent, with income of over $12 million a year.
It is among about 50 Catholic schools nationwide following the Edmund Rice tradition of spirituality and social justice.
“We’re an extremely inclusive and multicultural community,” Mr Belton said.
Jess Cundy, parent of two boys in primary years, Bryce and Jett, said she was very excited by what the change meant for her daughter, Ada.
“It will make a big difference to my family as all my children will now be able to attend the same school,” she said.
“The local area needs an affordable coeducational school.”
Mr Belton said the change was right for the St Paul’s community but he still saw a role for boys’ only schools in other contexts.
All other Catholic colleges in the inner northeast of Adelaide were single-sex schools and the idea of a co-ed had been discussed for at least 15 years, he said.
St Paul’s was founded in 1958 to cater for a growing suburban region.
It first intake was of 117 boys in years 5 to 8 in 1959. It later expanded to lower and higher year levels.