Co-ed schooling: pros and cons

Sir, – Your article (Education, January 29th) describes Sandford Park’s decision to change its enrolment policy from single …

Sir, – Your article (Education, January 29th) describes Sandford Park’s decision to change its enrolment policy from single gender to co-educational and stated that there “was no other small co-educational school in the immediate hinterland”. Stratford College, a small co-educational secondary school has been in existence in Dublin 6 for nearly 60 years.

Our school’s richness of heritage and multi-denominational enrolment has contributed to the education of generations of boys and girls in a small school environment characterised by inclusiveness and collaboration. By so doing we are providing our students with a positive model for life in a pluralist society – the best educational outcome, we have long believed, and not one “driven by the market” as the rest of your article would suggest. – Yours, etc,

PATRICIA GORDON,

Principal,

Stratford College,

Zion Road,

Rathgar,

Dublin 6.