EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
Benefits of
Co-education
Co-education is an important part of our educational philosophy at Carey – here’s why.
Choosing the right school for your child can be challenging and the decision between co-education or single-sex education is an important factor for many families. At Carey Baptist Grammar School, our approach to and passion for co-education is just part of what makes us different.
Here we outline the ways that the co-educational model at Carey supports our programs, enhances the school experience for students and helps to develop empathetic, open-minded and independent young people who are ready to face the world.
Gender stereotypes are broken down
The world shouldn’t be segregated by gender. Our culture is in the process of becoming more inclusive and socially cohesive, and co-educational schools help to minimise polarity and division on the basis of gender. Our co-educational model enables us to offer a much broader program to all students – gender equality is promoted and gender stereotypes are broken down when all students have access to what they’re interested in and are surrounded by a diverse range of people who share their interests.
‘It’s about educating unique individuals, not girls and boys’
Our approach to a personalised learning experience for each student means that we focus on so much more than their gender. It is not enough to suggest that girls learn one way and boys learn another when there are so many additional ways to define them that are interesting and important – like their strengths, passions, interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate and communicate. As explained by our Head of Middle School, Michael Nelson, ‘It’s about educating unique individuals, not girls and boys.’
Learning about life
Guiding young people in the development of healthy, respectful, collaborative relationships is most effective in a co-educational environment. This includes education about consent, which starts in an age-appropriate way from the very beginning of the learning journey. Students of all genders work together to understand boundaries and how to treat one another, and they have opportunities to practice this every day. It is through developing respect in the classroom, in the schoolyard, on the sports field, in the musical cast and on camp that leads to functional relationships outside of school. Carey has a whole-school emphasis on respect, especially across genders, because we know it is crucial to the development of good people.
Preparing students for the future
We know life beyond school requires collaboration with people with all different backgrounds. We are committed to developing young people who are ready to face the world with confidence, compassion and resilience and who can easily work with and respect people of other genders. We believe it is important that our students grow alongside others, be witness to their life experiences and learn to understand different perspectives.
Co-education is vital to upholding our values
We are a proudly inclusive school, and we provide a safe learning environment where all students can truly be themselves. Our students are accepted for who they are and are encouraged to find their place and their passions. Within this supportive environment, our students learn to be inclusive of others, despite – and perhaps because of – their differences.
Social and emotional development
When students are exposed to a wide range of perspectives and experiences, they learn to empathise and listen to others while also learning to express their own ideas in a supportive environment. In co-educational schools, students work collaboratively, exchange ideas and debate issues, and the presence of different genders adds to the richness and diversity of thinking that fills the classroom. All students work together and learn to interact intellectually, socially and with respect.