Rejected: Mixed response as co-ed plan at Randwick Boys High scrapped
A proposal to turn Randwick Boys High School into a co-ed school has been rejected by the Department of Education despite an extensive community survey which found two-thirds of participants were supportive of the move.
Southern Courier
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A proposal to turn Randwick Boys High School into a co-ed school has been rejected by the Department of Education despite an extensive community survey which found two-thirds of participants were supportive of the move.
Of the 2226 people surveyed in the community between December and February, 57 per cent were strongly supportive of the proposed change and 10 per cent were supportive.
Meanwhile, 21 per cent were strongly opposed, seven per cent were opposed and five per cent were neutral.
“It has been decided that Randwick Boys High School will remain a boys-only school and will not transition to coeducation,” a statement on the Department of Education’s NSW Public Schools website read.
“While the results of the online community survey supported the proposal to transition Randwick Boys High School to a coeducational secondary school, the views of families, students and staff who would be most directly impacted by the decision did not provide clear support for a change.”
Among the “most directly impacted” groups was parents and carers of girls who attend neighbouring Randwick Girls’ High School.
A total of 300 parents and carers in that group took part in the survey and 160 said they would not be interested in sending their daughter to a co-ed Randwick Boys’ High School.
The Randwick Girls’ High School executive staff and P & C were also opposed to the change.
The decision has attracted a mixed response.
Emma Stevens’ daughter attends neighbouring Rainbow St Public School and she would have had the opportunity to send her daughter to the co-ed school in the future if the proposal had been approved. However, she said she supported keeping the status quo.
“I think this is best. My preference would be for my girls to go to a single-sex school,” the mum and high school teacher said.
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“I understand the need … but from an education point of view I think girls do better in single-sex schools.”
Another resident whose grandson was due to attend Randwick Boys’ next year, who did not want to be named, said she supported the change to a co-ed school.
“It is a good idea,” she said. “The students have to learn in life how to treat women and how to behave around girls.”
She said there were strengths to both co-ed and single-sex schooling but having the option for a local co-ed school was important.
Randwick Boys High School’s P & C has also spoken out against the decision following the high number of people who were in support of the change.
The P & C labelled the decision “disappointing” and “shortsighted” on its Facebook page.