Kerala in no hurry to convert all single-sex schools into co-education institutions

On July 22, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights directed that all schools in the state should follow a co-education system from the next academic year.

After the LDF government came into power in 2021, 21 schools have been converted into mixed ones, said Education Minister V Sivankutty. (Representational/File)

Days after the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights ordered that all schools in the state be converted into mixed ones, Education Minister V Sivankutty said on Wednesday that the government would take a decision only after considering the whole gamut of the issue.

On July 22, the children’s panel directed the general education department that all schools in the state should follow a co-education system from the next academic year. The panel had acted upon a petition from an individual.

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After the LDF government came into power in 2021, 21 schools have been converted into mixed ones, said Sivankutty. “At present, 138 government schools and 243 government-aided schools are either boys-only or girls-only. We cannot convert these schools into co-education institutions in a single sweep,’’ he said.

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The minister said the education department would examine whether all such schools have required infrastructure. “PTAs and local self-government bodies concerned can decide whether co-education should be allowed in boys-only and girls-only schools. If there is no opposition from students or parents, PTAs can approach the education department, which would examine the infrastructure facilities. Besides, we have to consider whether conversion of a school would affect some other schools in the vicinity. All such factors would be considered before taking a decision on introducing co-education in these schools,’’ he said.

The children’s panel had directed the department to submit a detailed report on the implementation of the co-education system. “An action plan should be prepared to stop the exclusive schools for girls and boys in the state and implement co-education in all institutions functioning in the state from the academic year 2023-24,” it said.