Teachers in state schools need not worry about the introduction of co-education since having mixed genders does not change much in the classroom, according to the St Claire’s College principal.

“The children are not acting differently. Teachers just need to realise that it’s not an issue of having girls or boys. It’s about individuals and, as always, tackling the situations that come with them,” Maria Ciappara said.­

“The Form 1 students at our college, that introduced co-education this year, have had enough of everyone asking them how they are getting on. For them it’s no big deal,” Ms Ciappara said.

A visit to the college during the lunch break yesterday proved just how natural mingling is for most students.

In the playground, a group of boys were playing football and two girls, with their hair pulled up, joined in the fun. Suddenly, the ball was kicked out of the pitch, hitting the face of a boy who happened to be walking by. Within seconds, the boy was circled by concerned boys and girls. As they dispersed, he cupped his pink cheek and a friend, a girl, escorted him off the playground.

Meanwhile, a group of students, mostly girls, jogged around the perimeter of the pitch. At one point, a group of girls, many of them out of breath, started cheering on a boy who still had to complete the last lap and cheered loudly as he crossed the finish line.

Four months ago, St Claire’s College became the first school on the island to introduce mixed students in Form 1 – as the government launched a pilot project to gauge the introduction of co-education across the board.

This week, the government announced that all state schools will gradually become co-ed as from next scholastic year, starting with Form 1.

The Malta Union of Teachers said it was not consulted, adding that it was concerned that the pilot project had not yet run its course before the government decided to make its announcement.

A spokesman for the Education Ministry said discussions will continue over the coming months with all stakeholders, especially teachers, students and parents.

Ms Ciappara said consultation was very important and, before implementing the co-ed system, her college consulted with heads of mixed private schools.

The college did not make changes to subject content and students were free to choose the subjects and sports they were interested in, irrespective of their gender.

Some male students enjoyed home economics, some girls played football.

The main changes, so far, were of an infrastructural kind such as adding boys’ toilets.

The school was constantly monitoring the situation and was now helping other colleges to gear up to go co-ed.

Last Friday, students, their parents and college principals were invited to take part in a discussion on the subject. Students were asked what they learnt from their friends of the opposite sex.

Boys said they learnt to speak as well as play, neat handwriting, using more colours in their work, patience and taking work seriously. Girls learnt that boys were good at joking and sports, they stood up for each other and were honest with one another.

Many of the students had been in the same school since kindergarten so moving to Form 1 together was a natural step. There were a handful of girls and boys who said they felt shy of the opposite gender.

Ms Ciappara said she was concerned that this gender awareness might be more pronounced when the students reached Forms 3 upwards. The school had two years to prepare for that, however, the advice given by mixed private schools was that boys and girls in the same class often became close friends and did not date.

“So, as teachers, we just have to look at them as individuals on a social and academic level… and get used to saying: ‘Good morning girls and boys’,” she smiled.

MUT withdrawal

The Malta Union of Teachers yesterday withdrew from the co-ed national committee saying that the task to evaluate the co-ed pilot project was prejudiced by the government’s decision to proceed with mixed gender schools. The union said it would still give its views on the subject but not as part of the committee.