All-boys elite Campion School opens its doors to girls from this academic year
One of Mumbai's prominent institutions, Campion School in Cooperage, began a new chapter in its 82-year-old history on Monday when it opened its doors to girl students for the first time. The iconic all-boys school is now a co-educational institution, and its fresh batch of Nursery and Junior Kindergarten students this year include both boys and girls.
The move marks a significant cultural shift for the ICSE-affiliated school, which also adopted the Cambridge International Education board, this year.
'This isn't just a policy change, it's a cultural evolution,' said the school's principal, Sarah Thomas. 'We believe that starting co-education from the early years fosters empathy, collaboration and mutual respect -- values that are essential today.' This year, the school admitted 30 students in Nursery and 48 in Junior KG.
As the new students took a walk inside the school, they were joined by special guests Prashant Narnaware, secretary to the governor of Maharashtra, and deputy commissioner of police Ragasudha R.
The school has been preparing for this shift over the past few years, with the management board evaluating how best to make Campion an inclusive institution, relevant to the changing times. 'Men and women work together; so it is important to give them an early start to intermingle through schools, so that they can adapt to each other. Many families have children of both genders, who can now come to school together,' said a member of the management.
To support the change, the school has introduced a readiness plan. This includes infrastructure upgrades such as secure and separate washrooms, gender-neutral classroom layouts, including more female staff, and sensitization workshops for students, parents and teachers. Robust anti-bullying policies and ongoing emotional support are also part of the framework to ensure a smooth transition.
'Your daughters are not just welcome, they are celebrated,' said Reshma Sheldekar, the school's Cambridge Early Years Co-ordinator. 'We are committed to offering them a safe, inspiring and empowering environment where they can learn, lead and thrive.' Principal Thomas added: 'All our teachers have shown enthusiasm for the change. The need for co-education was necessary.'
Thomas also said that parents were engaged through the decision-making process, participating in open forums and orientation sessions. Their input helped shape many of the school's plans, building trust and ensuring transparency.
Expressing support for the move, Dhiraj Mehra, a member of Old Campionites' Association, an alumni group, said: 'We are proud to see Campion evolve while staying true to its values. The inclusion of girls enriches the Campion community.'
Father John Rose, chairperson of the school's management called it a 'historic beginning that reaffirms Campion's commitment to progress, equality, and holistic learning. The girls of Campion are here to shine.'
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Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
All-boys elite Campion School opens its doors to girls from this academic year
MUMBAI All-boys elite Campion School opens its doors to girls from this academic year One of Mumbai's prominent institutions, Campion School in Cooperage, began a new chapter in its 82-year-old history on Monday when it opened its doors to girl students for the first time. The iconic all-boys school is now a co-educational institution, and its fresh batch of Nursery and Junior Kindergarten students this year include both boys and girls. The move marks a significant cultural shift for the ICSE-affiliated school, which also adopted the Cambridge International Education board, this year. 'This isn't just a policy change, it's a cultural evolution,' said the school's principal, Sarah Thomas. 'We believe that starting co-education from the early years fosters empathy, collaboration and mutual respect -- values that are essential today.' This year, the school admitted 30 students in Nursery and 48 in Junior KG. As the new students took a walk inside the school, they were joined by special guests Prashant Narnaware, secretary to the governor of Maharashtra, and deputy commissioner of police Ragasudha R. The school has been preparing for this shift over the past few years, with the management board evaluating how best to make Campion an inclusive institution, relevant to the changing times. 'Men and women work together; so it is important to give them an early start to intermingle through schools, so that they can adapt to each other. Many families have children of both genders, who can now come to school together,' said a member of the management. To support the change, the school has introduced a readiness plan. This includes infrastructure upgrades such as secure and separate washrooms, gender-neutral classroom layouts, including more female staff, and sensitization workshops for students, parents and teachers. Robust anti-bullying policies and ongoing emotional support are also part of the framework to ensure a smooth transition. 'Your daughters are not just welcome, they are celebrated,' said Reshma Sheldekar, the school's Cambridge Early Years Co-ordinator. 'We are committed to offering them a safe, inspiring and empowering environment where they can learn, lead and thrive.' Principal Thomas added: 'All our teachers have shown enthusiasm for the change. The need for co-education was necessary.' Thomas also said that parents were engaged through the decision-making process, participating in open forums and orientation sessions. Their input helped shape many of the school's plans, building trust and ensuring transparency. Expressing support for the move, Dhiraj Mehra, a member of Old Campionites' Association, an alumni group, said: 'We are proud to see Campion evolve while staying true to its values. The inclusion of girls enriches the Campion community.' Father John Rose, chairperson of the school's management called it a 'historic beginning that reaffirms Campion's commitment to progress, equality, and holistic learning. The girls of Campion are here to shine.'
Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Indian Express
Mumbai: In a first, Campion School opens doors for girl students
For the first time since it was founded in 1943, Campion School in Mumbai, which has been well-known as a premier all-boys institution opened its doors to girl students on Monday. Starting with Nursery and Junior Kindergarten (KG), the popular South Bombay school began the transition from an all-boys to a co-educational institution from this academic year, which commenced on Monday. A total of 38 girls have taken admission to Campion school in these two classes, as the school plans to follow a 50-50 ratio of boys and girls for admissions. The day was marked by a joyful ceremonial welcome for young girls by school staff along with two reputed government officials as guests — Prashant Narnaware, secretary, Governor of Maharashtra and Ragasudha R, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mumbai. Fr. John Rose, chairperson of the school management, said, 'This is a historic beginning, one that reaffirms Campion's commitment to progress, equality, and holistic learning.' As per information shared by the school's management, to ensure a smooth and sensitive transition to a co-educational environment, Campion has undertaken a comprehensive readiness plan that includes infrastructure enhancements such as secure, separate washrooms and privacy-conscious facilities; recruitment of female educators, counselors, and support staff; gender-neutral classroom design and mixed-seating arrangements. The school has also modified its anthem and other prayers to replace words such as boys and sons with more inclusive words, to welcome girls. As Campion school welcomed its first batch of girls, the school which is historically led by male principals, particularly Jesuit priests will now be headed by Sarah Justin Thomas, a woman principal. 'It is very exciting to be in this space at this moment, which marks a historical milestone with girls entering an all-boys school for the first time. I am looking forward to working with the Campion community which is extremely adaptive and committed to this transition along with preparing our students for the real world,' she said. Campion has also begun adoption of the Cambridge Early Years Curriculum, which will start with these two classes.
Time of India
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- Time of India
CBSE seeks support from schools for NIOS exams in October–November 2025
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