Co-ed schools growing in popularity as call to mirror society

SINGLE-SEX private schools were often seen as the pinnacle of education, but there’s a growing call for mixing boys and girls. So which is best?

Kilvington Grammar principal Jon Charlton with four of the first boys to join the school in 2011 when it went co-ed: (from left) Zane, Paddy, William and Harry.

SCHOOLS should reflect real life and be co-educational and inclusive, according to Kilvington Grammar principal Jon Charlton.

He said since the Ormond school became co-ed six years ago students and the overall school community had thrived, with enrolments almost doubling to about 800.

The school was unable to “satisfy” demand for male students, he said.

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The extra students provided the financial ability to introduce more VCE programs and upgrade facilities while retaining the culture of a smaller, independent school of academic excellence, he said.

Figures from Independent Schools Victoria show that Kilvington is among a growing number of co-ed private schools.

A spokesman said 87.8 per cent of Victorian independent schools were co-ed, while 8 per cent were girls’ schools and 4.2 per cent were boys’ only.

“You hear of same-sex schools going co-ed, not the other way around,” Mr Charlton said.

“Life is co-ed; it’s inclusive.

“Our young people will be employed in the future to work in a [co-ed] team and be collaborative and adaptable, and we’re setting them up for a very bright future.”

He said arguments that boys and girls learnt differently had to be seen in the context of “quality” teachers being able to “teach anybody” while catering to individuals.

“Every boy is different, every girl is different; we focus on the individual and their needs,” he said.

The Baptist school still had same-sex classes in Year 7 to Year 9 in maths, science, English and sport — a hangover from when it introduced co-ed — but all senior year subjects were co-ed, he said.

Kilvington Grammar enrolments have thrived since the school became co-ed almost six years ago. Picture: Supplied

Parents embraced the co-ed model wanting to see their children develop “holistically; to grow mentally, socially and spiritually”.

He said a co-ed school meant different genders mixed “naturally” and developed good relationships with each other rather than seeing the opposite sex as being “from another planet”, and had set the school’s agenda for the next century.

Other experts argue that same-sex schools were sometimes appropriate.

High profile Australian family psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg said single-sex schools benefited boys who matured physically early.

He said parents with boys who matured physically at 13 or 14 should consider same-sex schools which provided “less of a distraction” for their academic pursuits.

“They are physically mature but emotionally immature and single-sex schools allows them to focus [on study],” he said.

Mr Carr-Gregg said that it was more likely the quality of teachers rather than gender specific learning theories that improved academic performance.

A leading Australian education academic, Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli, said single-sex boys schools were best for boys who conformed to heterosexual, sporty, masculine profiles.

The co-author of Being Normal is the Only Thing To Be: Adolescents Perspectives on Gender at School said co-ed schools were better for boys who did not fit the “hyper-masculine” stereotype.

The Deakin University lecturer said a co-ed curriculum was broader and offered friendship groups for boys marginalised by their difference to “normal” boys’ groups.

She said single-sex girls’ schools were seen to offer girls greater curriculum freedom without the pressure of bullying from girls perceived to be “cool” by boys in co-ed schools.