In brief - It is essential that co-ed schools in Victoria considering strategies to achieve gender balance obtain legal advice about appropriate exemptions to ensure anti-discrimination laws are not breached
Co-educational schools are increasingly aiming to offer learning experiences to students consistent with equal gender ratios. This often follows complaints from parents that classes are “swamped” with students of one gender (almost always more boys than girls) and that this may have implications for learning outcomes.
However, schools cannot just alter enrolments to address gender imbalance. In Victoria, obtaining an exemption under anti-discrimination legislation is the only way schools can lawfully introduce affirmative action policies to attract more female students.
