“Demand is exceeding our ability to supply places. We’re absolutely committed to providing co-ed and single-sex school options for our families and depending on the circumstances we are looking at making decisions to move to co-ed where it aligns with needs.”
Farley said if the co-ed proposal gets the green light the school could move “fairly quickly,given the right circumstances,and a transition could usually happen over a few years”.
Anthony Albanese poses for a selfie with students during a visit to his old school during the campaign.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The school,which costs $5189 for year 12,is also in the process of recruiting a new principal with current head Michael Kelleher set to leave at the end of the year.
“It is exploring multiple opportunities for families in the city,including a faith-filled classical liberal arts approach to curriculum and also specialist music and singing opportunities through the cathedral choir,” Farley said.
“A liberal arts education supports young people’s passions and character,preparing them to deal with complexity,diversity and change,” the proposal to parents said.
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The school provides students for the country’s oldest cathedral choir and offers specialist music tuition for all years.
The plan comes as more single-sex schools across Sydney become co-educational and parents increasingly call for more co-ed options.
Boys’ college De La Salle in Ashfield is set to merge with an adjacent girls’ school,Bethlehem College,and a merger will also take in a nearby primary school,St Vincent’s. It will create a co-educational school catering for students from kindergarten to year 12.
Many of Sydney’s schools are boys- and girls-only,particularly in its public system,where there are 34 catchments in which the only option is a single-sex high school.
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Numerous private schools are also single-sex,particularly in the eastern and inner western suburbs and on the north shore.
Barker College finished its transition to fully co-educational this year and Sydney University’s St Paul’s College has announced plans to begin accepting female undergraduates from 2023.
Cranbrook in the city’s eastern suburbs is considering introducing girls into years 11 and 12 and Newington College,in the inner west,is also reviewing the idea,alongside a proposal to make the school more culturally and socio-economically diverse.
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