Shimla: 78 single-gender schools to be turned co-educational

As many as 78 single-gender government senior secondary schools are likely to be converted into co-education institutions shortly. The Department of School Education has sent a proposal to the government to turn these institutions into co-education schools for consolidation of resources, including teachers, and promotion of gender equality.

As per the proposal, these 78 schools are located at 39 locations in the district or the block headquarters and the distance between these schools is less than one km.

“We have proposed that one of the two schools with suitable infrastructure be used only for the Class XI and the Class XII students of both the schools.

The school will have all three streams of Arts, Science and Commerce,” said Director of School Education Ashish Kohli.

“The other school could be downgraded to High School where both boys and girls can study together,” he said.

If the government gives a nod to the proposal, the convergence of resources, including teachers, would ensure availability of better resources to the students in both the schools.

“For example, a boys’ school may have a chemistry lecturer, but the post may be vacant in the girls’ school located just one km away. The problem could be addressed through consolidation of the schools and their resources,” said Kohli.

The Director further said that the single-gender schools having high enrolment, like Government Model Senior Secondary School, Portmore, in Shimla, had been kept out of the ambit of this proposal.