Kozhikode: After remaining ‘all-boys’ for 90 years, the government higher secondary school in Koyilandy is set to admit girls to Class 6 and above from this academic year.
The authorities were also surprised when girls outnumbered boys in the applications they received so far.
The school is being raised to international standards under the Dasan Educational Empowerment Program (Deep) and teachers say that could be a reason for the rush.
Deep aims at refurbishing physical amenities to meet modern-day standards.
“The question as to whether to educate your children in a single sex or mixed school can be a sticking point for some families,” said Koyilandy municipal chairperson K. Santha.
“The decision was made after a good research work and we found that to some extent the environment of these schools is artificial and that hinders social skills development”.
The school’s PTA and the Koyilandy Municipality started gauging diverse responses they received from parents and teachers and finally they decided to open the school to all genders.
“The modern system is for co-education as it creates a better atmosphere and a mutual understanding,” said Koyilandy legislator K. Dasan. “Girls will now get an opportunity to go to a government school of international standards”.
