Kerala is home to many separate schools for boys and girls. According to data, there are 280 Government and aided schools for girls and 164 for boys in Kerala. Many scholars have talked about how this form of interaction-less between male and female students has a differential influence in their growing stages. The Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights has, therefore, ordered the closure of schools exclusively for boys and girls from the 2023-24 academic year. All we can say is that this was long overdue.
The Child Rights Commission stated that existing separate schools for boys and girls should convert into co-ed/mixed schools. The commission took into consideration the need for socialisation among school-going students to promote gender equality as early as possible.
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The Department of General Education has been tasked to prepare a full-fledged action plan to help schools convert into co-eds. The entire process of changing the infrastructure to make it safe and comfortable for all students and creating awareness among parents about mixed schooling will be included in the plan. They are to submit a report in 90 days to the Commission.
The Child Rights Commission took this into consideration when Dr Isaac Paul from the Kollam district filed a petition stating that separate schools did not promote gender justice. Enabling the interaction of male and female students would only allow more respect and understanding of each other.
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