The Case for Single-Sex Boys Schools

Last Friday, we had an amazing day out at the Quaycentre, where we prayed together in a Eucharistic celebration that set the scene for the year with a focus on the touchstone of Inclusive Community. We then welcomed back our High Achievers from the Class of 2024. We had a very successful HSC last year, and it was evident with the sheer number of boys (ATARs over 90) presented to the community who were also so involved in the co-curricular and faith programs of the College. I spoke in my address of my pride in our learning culture that lasts with the boys as they move into manhood. You could not help but notice their pride in the occasion, each dressed in a suit and sporting their Old Boy tie. Each one of them. When I made a comment at the supper afterwards, the group of young men I was with said they had been waiting eight years to be up on that stage, and they just knew what they needed to do to send a statement to the rest of the boys at the school. Boys’ education at its finest.

There has been no shortage of debate about co-ed and single-sex schools over the past 18 months. The NSW Government has announced several mergers of formerly single-sex schools as part of its promise that every family in the state will have the option of choosing a co-ed public high school by 2027. Several Catholic schools and two prominent all-boys independent schools have also announced they will move to co-ed.

The ongoing debates highlight that gender remains a significant factor for many parents. Via media reports, numerous parents at the girls' schools slated for transition expressed concerns about how co-education might affect their daughters' academic performance and social-emotional wellbeing. These worries are not new. In the 1980s, feminist research into co-education questioned whether boys' needs and interests were being prioritised over those of girls in co-ed schools. By the 1990s, the "what about the boys?" debate prompted state and federal inquiries into whether boys, rather than girls, were being "left behind" in Australian classrooms.

Central to these discussions is the question of which schooling system—single-sex or co-ed—yields the best academic and social outcomes for both boys and girls. Many parents believe that girls thrive in single-sex schools while boys fare better in co-ed environments. However, there is no conclusive evidence to support that one system is superior to the other. Both types of schools can elevate students. It is not the gender enrolment so much as the gender culture and values of a school that make the difference.

EREA schools like St Patrick’s College, with an explicit focus on Inclusive Community as a touchstone, have a whole-of-school approach to gender equality and diversity, ensuring that all facets of a school prioritise equity and challenge stereotypes and norms, from daily teaching to a college’s ethos, policies and partnerships. This type of school is a place where boys can thrive.

A recent article describes a surge in popularity of boys’ schools [As public school enrolments fall, boys’ schools are bucking the trend, SMH, 27 January 2025]. Furthermore, four out of the top 10 performing schools in the 2024 HSC were boys’ schools, including Sydney Grammar, Normanhurst Boys and North Sydney Boys. Six of the top 20 were boys’ schools, including Knox Grammar and St Aloysius'. How can we explain this phenomenon?

I have been researching this topic and came across a study conducted by Nathaniel Williamson on behalf of the Association of Boys’ Schools in New Zealand, titled Achievement in Boys’ Schools, 2017-2021. The study found that male school leavers from single-sex schools in New Zealand had higher achievement rates in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) and University Entrance (UE) compared to those from coeducational schools from 2017 to 2021. This difference is statistically significant due to the large sample size (n = 155,630). The trend remained consistent even during COVID-19, suggesting it may continue beyond 2021. However, the study emphasises that this data shows existence rather than causation, as it couldn't eliminate all biases and confounding effects. Therefore, a more rigorous investigation is needed to determine the true cause of the higher achievement rates. For example, it may be that a strong reputation for excellence may cause aspirational students to attend a single-sex school.

In the case of St Patrick’s College, our holistic approach consistently delivers strong student outcomes for boys at all levels of achievement, including those with a learning or sensory disability. The Class of 2024 achieved results that placed us 89th in the State, a significant result for a fully comprehensive school. We are indeed a quality school FOR boys, not just one with boys IN it. In and out of class at St Patrick’s College:

We take time to provide experiences that build the relationships, respect and trust on which boys thrive.
We find the time to run activities and nurture the stories upon which boys hang their learning.
We take the time to know each boy and guide him to choose engagement with, rather than separation from, learning.
We steer recruitment and professional development towards staff skilled in learning relationships and the development of boys
We direct all such influence to deliver relational and pragmatic consequences and accountability for behaviour.

It all boils down to “horses for courses” and in the end, parents know the right setting for their children. For the boys at St Patrick’s College, we pray:

Lord, bless my son's academic skills and efforts.

I pray You would give him the desire to learn

and the gift of knowledge.

Help him excel in his strengths

while persevering in his weaknesses.

Do not let him become discouraged

when he cannot grasp things with ease.

Instead, may he appreciate and store up the knowledge he gains.

Amen.

Australia Day Honours

The example set by the Christian Brothers lives on and we were so excited to hear the news that Br Thomas Oliver (Olly) Pickett, was named the 2025 Senior Australian of the Year.

Brother Thomas Oliver (Olly) Pickett AM co-founded Wheelchairs For Kids in 1996 to provide adjustable wheelchairs and occupational therapy expertise for children in developing countries, free of charge. Since then, more than 60,000 custom-built wheelchairs have been gifted to children in over 80 countries.

With over 250 retiree workshop volunteers, Wheelchairs For Kids is one of Western Australia’s largest (and with an average age of 74, one of Australia’s oldest) volunteer-led charities. A further 550 people from aged care and community groups sew covers for wheelchair soft supports, and crochet rugs and soft toys. Olly also spearheaded the development of an innovative, low-cost wheelchair design to World Health Organization standards that grows as the children do – a world first.

Wheelchairs For Kids is just one way that Olly has improved the lives of others. For 26 continuous years, his life-changing community service has ignited a ripple effect of kindness and generosity.

We are also very proud of one of our Advisory Council members and parent of Benjamin (Year 12) and Matthew (’23), Peter Gainsford, who was recognised in the 2025 Australia Day Honours List.

Mr Gainsford was awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) and has spent over 40 years championing transformative changes in Sydney’s Inner West. His leadership at the Inner West Council has been pivotal in promoting cultural harmony and inclusivity.

Opening School Mass Commentary

Since our Opening School Mass, negative and inaccurate commentary has been made about our liturgy, primarily that the College is promoting same-sex marriage. This is quite sad as our liturgy was one that reflected primarily on the Inclusive Community touchstone.

Here is precisely what our Inclusivity Prefect, Michael Bridge, read out before the Eucharistic Celebration commenced:

“Amongst us are those from different cultural backgrounds, different races, some whose first language is not English, people from everywhere along the spectrum of religious belief. There are those with noticeable disabilities and those with inabilities or shortcomings we cannot see. We are made up of people who have suffered persecution in troubled countries and who have moved from other homes. Amongst us are those who present differently with neurodivergence, some are distinctly dark-skinned, some are experiencing same-sex attraction, others who are struggling with their male identity, as well as men and women, sisters and brothers, who work together. Some of us are short while others are tall and so on. But the thing that unites us is our humanity; how we are created as one by God. We are all worthy, we are all loved, we are all sacred. We might not all get along or even like each other at times, but we must love one another just as Jesus loved us. Jesus was the great includer, welcoming lepers, tax-collectors, women and sinners. Today we are reminded to do the same in our own time. And as we do this, we need to remember that being inclusive is not only caring for others but also for our Earth; we are all God’s creation”.

In the space of same-sex attraction, and the issue of same-sex marriage, allow me to be crystal clear.

The College takes its lead from our Holy Father, Pope Francis, whose comments always commence with the Catholic Church's teachings about human dignity. In an interview in January 2023, the Pope said:

"We are all children of God, and God loves us as we are and for the strength that each of us fights for our dignity. Being homosexual is not a crime. It is not a crime….but it is a sin. But first let us distinguish between a sin and a crime. It's also a sin to lack charity with one another." He urges church members to show "tenderness" as God does with each of his children.

In our Religious Education classrooms, we teach Pope Francis’s clear teaching: that marriage is between a man and a woman and that any sexual relationship outside of marriage is wrong. As a College ministering to 1,600 young men, in the most formative time of their lives, we continue to take a merciful approach to applying church doctrine while concurrently accompanying them rather than judging them. I want all of our boys to feel included and welcome. That was the message of our Opening Mass.

A number of people present at the Mass have asked me about the significance of the inclusion of the Aboriginal artwork in our sacred space on the day. This artwork is proudly displayed in our foyer.

This artwork was painted for St Patrick’s College, Strathfield in 2013 – on the occasion of the commencement of our relationship with St Joseph’s Flexible Learning Centre, Alice Springs. It was painted by Aunty Pat (Patricia Ansell Dodds) who welcomed us to Country and completed this painting later in that year for us. It represents Alice Springs in the centre and our connection to the heart of the nation, as are other EREA schools.

Patricia is a native title holder of Alice Springs and has been painting since the 1990s. Her Language is Central Arrente and Anmatyere. She is based in Alice Springs, Ti Tree in the Northern Territory.

Our students go on immersion to this Flexischool annually and in a month’s time, the fellas will be visiting us at St Patrick’s College. The painting is also used in the background of each of our sporting jerseys when we have a Reconciliation Round. We are very proud of our association with our brother-school and the painting is a reminder that it is a special relationship that benefits both schools. It is a visual reminder of what our inclusivity touchstone is all about.

Staff News

Ms Janika Armanno is expecting a baby in May, and we could not be more delighted for her. As soon as we have made arrangements for her classes, I will advise the community.
Mr Nicholas Phillipson, Head of Visual Arts has resigned after 18 years to take up a position at Queenwood. A gifted artist and leader, Mr Phillipson will be sorely missed and will be with us until 14 March. We are currently recruiting for a replacement.
We keep Mrs Cristina Polito in our prayers as she recently lost her beloved grandmother at the grand old age of 106 years. A wonderful innings making the parting even harder. May she rest in eternal peace.

Dr Vittoria Lavorato

Principal

SPC boys can do anything!

**except divide by zero

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