The adoption of co-education: a descriptive account of decision-making in selected independent schools in Victoria

Master of EducationTraditionally, the independent schools of Victoria, some of which were founded over 100 years ago, have been single-sex schools. During the 1970's, at least twenty single-sex independent schools adopted co-education. This thesis seeks to explore, in selected schools, some of the reasons for this change in format. In this thesis, the history of Australian and Victorian education is outlined, with particular mention being made of the establishing of the earliest independent schools. The review of literature deals predominantly with research studies which attempt to establish the strengths and weaknesses of both single-sex education and co-education. The data for this study comprises case studies of four single-sex independent schools which adopted co-education. One was a girls school which accepted boys, two were boys schools which accepted girls, and one school was the result of a merger of a boys school and a girls school. Each school was examined concerning possible reasons for a change of format, within a conceptual framework developed from the review of literature. The three analytic criteria were: philosophical considerations, response to market pressure, and economic viability. Each conceptual framework variable was seen to be relevant to the decision by each school to adopt co-education, but in varying proportions in each school. One school's decision to adopt co-education resulted from an emphasis on educational philosophy; two schools placed emphasis on the need to respond to market pressures, thus gaining present, or ensuring future, support from clientele; whilst the fourth school was the result of a merger for the predominant reason of re-establishing economic viability