Introducing Coeducation from K - Year 9
The St Andrew's academic uniform for Junior and Middle School girls. A preview of the prototype.
There were interesting scenes at the School today when several of our students had the opportunity to see and even to try on the newly designed uniform for Junior and Middle School girls. As you will see from the information from the sidebar, the School will offer coeducation from Kindergarten to Year 9 from the commencement of 2008. We plan to offer traditional coeducational classes through the Junior School years but we will “twin” the Middle School (Year 7 to Year 9) by forming separate classes in English, Mathematics and Science for girls and boys. This decision arises from the considerable body of evidence that suggests that boys and girls in early adolescence experience vastly differing cognitive maturation process yet derive great benefit in terms of social/cultural awareness from being together.
An important component of the change from boys only to coeducational environment through the Junior and Middle Years is the design of the School uniform. Once more we asked Jonathan Ward, the designer of our Senior Girls’ uniform, to create a uniform that was in keeping with our history and traditions. Our students and parents told us that they wanted to see a uniform that would allow children to celebrate the age, identity and gender, to feel comfortable in our city setting and to ensure that there is fairness between boys and girls with respect to access to the senior privilege of the white shirt. I am pleased to include some photographs of the prototype uniform that Jonathan has designed for your awareness. Although there will be further refinements, we believe that he has captured very successfully the sense of a student’s journey through the School. We will continue to consult with students, staff and parents as we move towards a final version in the weeks ahead. This note is simply to make you aware of what is happening.
See you at one of the many SACS events of Term 3.
Phillip Heath
Head of School
