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An investigation into co-education at Carey Baptist Grammar School : the first 10 years, 1989
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CreatorGregory D. WarmbrunnDescriptionIn 1923, the Baptist Union of Victoria opened its first denominational school for boys, in the suburb of Kew. The school was called Carey Baptist Grammar School named after the great Baptist missionary of India, William Carey. Over the following 55 years, it grew in size and reputation to become one of Melbourne's leading private schools.
In 1979, a dramatic event occurred in the life of the school, in that girls were admitted for the first time as students. The effects on the atmosphere of the school were profound. The teaching strategies were altered, the curriculum revised, the sporting and general activities expanded and the absolute numbers at the school increased.
After 5 years of co-education at Carey, many people believed the teething troubles had been largely worked through and that the school could settle down to producing, with both male and female students, the high standard of education it had achieved in the past.
A number of formal and informal meetings were held to discuss the integration of girls into the life of the school from the late 1970s, but they largely revolved around pragmatic issues, such as the privatisation of changing room facilities for the new female students.
It has been only in very recent times that people have begun to discuss the more philosophical and educational issues associated with co-education. Included in this area are the questions of gender blindness of the staff, the effect on the learning process where female students are generally in the minority in classes, the appropriateness of the school's sporting program for girls' interests and the lack of role models for girls in a school where few females hold senior teaching or administrative posts.
This project attempts to investigate the current situation at Carey in these and other areas, given the limitation of the project size, and to make recommendations where appropriate in order to assist the deliberations of school leaders regarding future policy decisions on co-education.DateBetween 1st January 1989 and 31st December 1989Year1989TypeThesisCollectionCo-educationKeywordCo-education
In 1979, a dramatic event occurred in the life of the school, in that girls were admitted for the first time as students. The effects on the atmosphere of the school were profound. The teaching strategies were altered, the curriculum revised, the sporting and general activities expanded and the absolute numbers at the school increased.
After 5 years of co-education at Carey, many people believed the teething troubles had been largely worked through and that the school could settle down to producing, with both male and female students, the high standard of education it had achieved in the past.
A number of formal and informal meetings were held to discuss the integration of girls into the life of the school from the late 1970s, but they largely revolved around pragmatic issues, such as the privatisation of changing room facilities for the new female students.
It has been only in very recent times that people have begun to discuss the more philosophical and educational issues associated with co-education. Included in this area are the questions of gender blindness of the staff, the effect on the learning process where female students are generally in the minority in classes, the appropriateness of the school's sporting program for girls' interests and the lack of role models for girls in a school where few females hold senior teaching or administrative posts.
This project attempts to investigate the current situation at Carey in these and other areas, given the limitation of the project size, and to make recommendations where appropriate in order to assist the deliberations of school leaders regarding future policy decisions on co-education.DateBetween 1st January 1989 and 31st December 1989Year1989TypeThesisCollectionCo-educationKeywordCo-education
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PersonGreg Warmbrunn (OCG 1972)
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THIRD PARTY COPYRIGHT - APPROVED
Permission for use generously provided to Carey Baptist Grammar School by the copyright owner. No re-use permitted.
Gregory D. Warmbrunn, An investigation into co-education at Carey Baptist Grammar School : the first 10 years, 1989 (Between 1st January 1989 and 31st December 1989). Carey Collections, accessed 15/12/2025, https://archives.carey.com.au/nodes/view/8909



