Enrolling girls will not automatically make a boys school more inclusive. Schools need to look at things such as what is taught, extra-curricular activities and support for students.
In interviews, female teachers at three all-boy schools in three capital cities have disclosed instances of sexism from students, male colleagues and parents.
In the early 20th century, elite boys’ schools fostered military cadets, encouraged martial virtue among those they saw as future defenders of the empire and nation, and prized toughness.
Single-sex schools are in decline in Australia and elsewhere, and for good reason. It’s time we stopped segregating kids based on our constructs of sex and gender.