Ronita Torcato
Four years after the venerable all-boys St Xavier’s High School, Fort, Mumbai ( established 1869) went coed, Campion School, yet another highly esteemed educational institution run by the Society of Jesus at Colaba, is also transiting.
Jesuit-run boys-only Campion’s will admit girl students in junior KG in 2025. The following year, it will admit girls in senior KG. From the junior grades, admissions to the school will gradually expand across all levels.
Thus, with every passing year, the Cambridge International curriculum will proceed ahead while the ICSE curriculum phases out in due course.
At St Xavier’s, girl children from the first batch will have reached standard 3 in the next academic session (2025-26), when Campion School will transition from boys’ school to co-education institution and shift its curriculum from the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) to the international Cambridge curriculum (IGCSE).
The upcoming changes were announced by Father Dr. Francis Swamy, SJ the principal of Campion School, who had previously headed St Xavier’s Fort and St. Mary’s, Mazgaon. In 2020, Fr Dr Swamy was appointed principal of Campion which currently, has an enrollment of 762 students and 64 teachers, of which over 60% are female.
“This decision has been taken after extensive research, consultation, and careful consideration of the best ways to support and enhance the academic and personal growth of our students”. – Fr Swamy
Parents of Campionites as well as alumni have welcomed the change “which aligns with the principles of modern equity and gender equality and also propels the institution’s ethos into the future.”
“They were all requesting us to make it a co-ed school so that both their boys as well as girls children could get education from our school, which currently is the top boys’ school in India,” said justifiably proud Fr Swamy.
For Campion School, has enjoyed an undisputed leadership position since 2013, within the shrinking minority of all-boys day schools.
To cite its most recent achievements: Campion School ranked #1 in 2021-22 and #2 in 2022-23 and 2023-24, reclaiming its pre-eminent position in Education World rankings.
“Christian clergy usually takes care of the education of boys, while nuns are responsible for educating girls in convent schools. But, in a changing and rapidly evolving world, we need to evolve as well. Education should be inclusive so that every child, be it a boy or a girl, gets equal opportunity,” he said.
But co-education it is pertinent to note, has been the norm for Catholic church parishes where diocesan priests have run coed schools with assistance from nuns and laity. To name just a few in Mumbai: the Holy Name High School, Rosary High School, and Our Lady of Dolours High School.
“As a Jesuit Institution, Campion School has always been dedicated to creating responsible and thoughtful citizens. By adopting an international curriculum and embracing co-education, we are equipping our students with an education that is both relevant and rigorous. This is a step toward a brighter, more inclusive future for all students,” said Fr John Rose Santiago, S.J., Chairperson of The Bombay Campion High School Society’s Council of Management.
Like St Xavier’s Fort and St Mary’s Mazagaon, Campion is renowned for illustrious alumni in various fields. Campionites include the late Ratan Tata, builder Niranjan Hiranandani, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, politician Jyotiraditya Scindia, UN official, diplomat and author Shashi Tharoor, and cine stars Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, and Rajiv Kapoor, among others.
The transition involves changes to existing infrastructure and the training of teaching and support staff. Will it be seamless?
Recalls a teacher at St Xavier’s Fort, “I was educated in a coed school and those were the best days of my life. It’s too early to say anything about current developments as the kids are small now. With the changing scenario and changes in the mindset of parents’ only time will tell.”
Campion’s fee structure will remain unaffected by the changes, according to a source who said the change had been in the pipeline since, the last three years. The Old Campionites Association (OCA), the school’s alumni network, worked closely with the school management to plan and implement changes. The process will begin with a comprehensive phased renovation of the school premises on March. However,
infrastructure modifications have already begun. These include separate common rooms, washrooms, sports amenities and medical facilities.
The school has also conducted sensitisation programmes for staff, students, and parents. Special attention is being given to safety, in-view of the sexual assault of two minors in the Adarsh Vidya Prasarak Sanstha School at Badlapur by the school janitor who was later shot dead by the police. Campion School is enhancing security measures with additional CCTV cameras and female security personnel.
