56 schools in Punjab now co-ed, orders passed last week

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, May 3

Shedding the feudal practice of gender exclusive schools, the state government has converted a large number of girls only and boys schools into co-educational institutions.

According to multiple orders passed by the state government, a total of 56 such senior secondary schools have been converted into co-educational institutions. In the first phase, 47 boys only schools and nine girls only schools have been converted into co-educational institutes.

The orders into this regard were issued last week by Principal Secretary, Education, Jaspreet Talwar. According to the orders, keeping in mind studies of the students, these senior secondary schools have been converted into co-educational institutions.

Among various districts, five schools are from Ludhiana, four from Sangrur, three each from Faridkot, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, two each from Amritsar and Barnala, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Ropar, Tarn Taran and one each from Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Hoshiarpur, Mansa, Moga, Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts.

“As school of eminence is flagship programme, so to give equal opportunity to girls and boys to study in these schools, these schools were required to be converted into co-ed institutions,” said Vinay Bublani, Special Secretary, School Education.

Vikramdev Singh, chief, Democratic Teachers’ Front, said, “This is being done to re-implement the new education policy.”

First girls school was set up in 1836

• It was the American Presbyterian Mission which started the first elementary school for girls in 1836 at Ludhiana
• The school offered education to privileged Christian converts. In 1853, the Church Missionary Orphanage started schools for Sikh, Hindu and Christian girls