The incremental promotion of co-ed schools is a socially positive development because as boys and girl children learn together in inclusive classrooms, they develop mutually respectful relationships and male children in particular, learn to respect girls Surely it is a marker of positive socio-economic progress that the number of sufficiently well-reputed co-ed boarding schools included in the league tables of the annual EducationWorld India School Rankings (EWISR) survey, far outnumber gender segregated all-boys and girls boarding schools. The number of sufficiently reputed co-ed boarding schools (institutions assessed by less than 25 sample respondents are eliminated from the EW league tables) countrywide is over 60 against barely a few dozen gender-segregated all-boys and girl boarding schools. The incremental promotion of co-ed schools is a socially positive development because as boys and girl children learn together in inclusive classrooms, they develop mutually respectful relationships and male children in particular, learn to respect gender egalitarianism and become empathetic towards girl children who have historically suffered discrimination and less than equal opportunities for learning and career advancement. This is especially true of co-ed boarding schools where male and girl children are educated in close proximity, and learn to practice equality and mutual understanding and acceptance from young age. Inevitably, the onus of teaching students social and life skills beyond the academic curriculum is greater for principals and teachers of co-ed boarding schools than for their counterparts in day and gender segregated institutions. Fortunately, awareness that co-ed education is more progressive has spread to the Central and state governments. Most government schools are co-educational, including the show-piece 636 Jawaharlal Navodaya Vidyalayas — free-of-charge class VI-XII, CBSE-affiliated boarding schools promoted by the Central government for meritorious rural children. Against this backdrop, it is also a positive development that ab initio since the annual EWISR survey was initiated 14 years ago, the co-ed Rishi Valley School, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh (RVS, estb.1926), promoted by the indigenous philosopher, educationist and visionary far ahead of his times, J. Krishnamurti (1895-1986), which has been practising his teachings centred around respect for nature, the environment and ecology, has continuously topped the EWISR co-ed boarding schools league table. While the overwhelming number of legacy boarding schools derive their inspiration from Raj era public schools in the UK and India, the CISCE (Delhi)-affiliated RVS has been dispensing uniquely different life skills and co-curricular education respectful of nature, and local communities. In comparison with traditional boarding — and especially new genre private international — schools, RVS’ infrastructure is modest. There’s no dress code and only vegetarian meals are served. Despite this, RVS has captured the imagination of the SEC (socio-economic category) ‘A’ sample respondents polled annually for EWISR which over the past 14 years since it was instituted, has evolved into the largest, most comprehensive and sophisticated schools ranking survey worldwide. Post-independence India’s elite (SEC-A) sample respondents need to be commended for being prescient in respecting J. Krishnamurti’s education philosophy which has received a new lease of life in the Covid era when respect for…
