MUMBAI: Two of south Mumbai‘s oldest boys’ schools plan to soon convert into co-education institutions. Fort’s Campion School, which boasts illustrious alumni from diverse fields, including Ratan Tata, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Shashi Tharoor and Rishi Kapoor, may soon throw its door open to girl students, after almost eight decades of its existence. Another Jesuit-run school, the 170-year-old St Mary’sin Mazgaon, which has an equally exhaustive list of prominent alumni, plans to follow suit.Currently most established city schools offer co-education while single-gender ones are contemplating the switch.
Historically, the Jesuits were known for running all-boys schools, but in recent years, steps are being taken to convert these into co-ed learning spaces, which many say “is the natural way of learning and is also the way forward”. Father Keith D’Souza, chairperson of the Council of Management, said globally educational institutions are moving towards embracing the principle of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) on campuses and Jesuit institutions, too, are working towards it.
“We want to make our campuses diverse and inclusive. This is a positive step in that direction. Co-education is also the more natural way of studying in educational institutions. It will encourage boys to be respectable to their female classmates and help in gender sensitisation,” said Fr D’Souza.
The Cambridge programme at Jesuit-run Stanislaus School in Bandra is already a co-ed section and has received a good response from girls. St Xavier’s High School in Dhobi Talao became co-ed in 2021. Recently, a 132-year-old Parsi-run minority school in Fort, Bharda New High School, also welcomed girls on campus. Vinita Lewis, principal of Bharda school, told TOI that they had received several requests from parents who wished to send their girl children to the same school as their siblings.
Globally, experts have advocated co-ed spaces as it helps instil the concept of gender equality at an early age and also in breaking stereotypes.
Anita Rampal, educationist and former dean, faculty of education, Delhi University, said, “If we as human beings live together in society, then there is no question of segregation in educational spaces. Students have the right to learn together in a democratic space, interact freely and understand each other deeply and themselves-their selves and bodies as part of their sexuality.”

The Bombay Province Coordinator for Education, Father Francis Swamy, said St Mary’s already offers co-education at ISC level (class XI and XII). But they plan to start the Cambridge programme from pre-primary as a co-education unit. The SSC and ICSE sections will continue as it is, he said. “We have a letter of intent from the state government for St Mary’s, based on which we have to fulfil certain conditions and then if the government gives an NOC, we can start the Cambridge programme,” said Fr Swamy. He said the newer schools started by the Jesuits have been co-ed since inception.
At Campion, the PTA body and staff have been informed. Both campuses will have to be modified a bit to welcome girl students. The plan for Campion has been put up before the board, said the school’s general body member Fr Frazer Mascarenhas. “It is under consultation and a formal decision is awaited,” he said.