In 2016,
Plumtree High School made history by enrolling its first female students, a
move prompted by a drop in enrolment. This trend continued with Falcon College
in Umzingwane District introducing girls in 2017. Embakwe High School and
Mzingwane High School have followed suit, gradually incorporating female
students. Cyrene High School is also preparing to enrol girls and is already
developing the necessary infrastructure.
Some formerly
all-girls schools such as Minda High School and Usher High School, have begun
accepting boys, although their numbers remain small. Hamilton High School in
Bulawayo, facing low enrolment, also transitioned from a single-sex to a
mixed-gender day school.
Concerns about
gang violence involving pupils from Gifford High School and Milton High School
have even prompted the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to consider
converting these schools into mixed institutions. Reports of same-sex
relationships at some single-sex schools have reportedly made some parents and
guardians to shun these schools.
In an
interview, Olicah Kaira, Chief Director of primary, secondary and non-formal
education, said that single-sex schools are struggling to attract pupils hence
the move towards mixed education. She said that it is unnatural for individuals
to live solely within a single-sex community.
“Some of these
schools have low enrolments to continue as single-sex schools. The other issue
is that we want to be co-educational, recognising that in society we are
socialised to live as men and women, not exclusively as boys or girls. We have
also observed that boys living in isolation tend to become unruly when they
eventually interact with girls and the same can be true for girls encountering
boys. We still have a number of such schools in the country and we may need a
consultative process to determine whether we should continue solely with
single-sex schools or fully embrace co-education,” Kaira said.
She indirectly
acknowledged that issues of homosexuality are also a concern, particularly when
pupils of the same sex spend longer periods together. She cited an incident
last year when two girls from a boarding school in Matabeleland South allegedly
held a mock wedding.
“There is also
the issue of behavioural modifications. Children are very boisterous these days
and when boys and girls live together, they learn about their biological
changes. They will then grow up to marry each other, which is a normal
situation in life. We want to socialise them correctly. They don’t live as boys
only or girls only. They might come from families with both boys and girls, so
why are we separating them in schools?”
Kaira
referenced Milton High School, Gifford High School and Eveline High School,
noting reports of pupils becoming unruly and fighting over partners.
However, Mike
Mhike, Permanent Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education, clarified that
the ministry has not adopted a policy to convert all schools to mixed-gender
institutions. He said that formerly single-sex schools with low enrolments are
utilising their existing infrastructure to accommodate the other gender.
“Look at Minda
High School. They have now introduced boys because, within their catchment
area, civil servants and other workers are transferred there, and there is no
other school. So, the head and other responsible authorities felt it
appropriate to enrol both sexes, given their capacity. But the main issue is
that certain schools have experienced very low enrolments. If we can enrol more
boys and more girls, thereby fully utilising our infrastructure, then that is a
positive development.” Chronicle
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