SXI applies to switch to co-ed system

School council hopes change will help boost enrolment in the institution

GEORGE TOWN: St Xavier’s Institution (SXI), one of the premier government schools in Penang, is sending its application to the state Education Department to go fully co-ed, says the school’s Brother Director.

Brother Jason Blaikie said the Brothers Council has not objected to the institution to be switched to a co-education system almost a year ago.

“We are in the midst of sending our application to make the change to the Penang Education .

“One of the unique features of our institution is that we have an equal ratio of students from all races and this has been our longheld tradition.

“We want to revive the past glory of our institution and hope to continue the legacy of this historical institution established way back in 1852,” he said when leading a delegation to pay a courtesy call on Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow in Komtar yesterday.

Blaikie said they used to have about 3,000 students in the 60s, and nearly 2,500 students in the 70s.

“We have a total of 1,060 students now. The population has dropped,” he said.

During the courtesy visit, Chow was briefed on the infrastructure development of the school located in Farquhar Street here.

Blaikie said Karpal Singh Hall in SXI would be turned into a heritage centre.

“We have some artefacts such as school diaries from 1887 to 1898.

“With that, the whole stretch of Farquhar Street will have heritage buildings like the St George’s Church Penang, Penang State Museum, Assumption Church and Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion,” he said.

“In 2022, we will be celebrating the 170th anniversary of SXI and we are working towards making the celebration a success.”

Blaikie said SXI is the first Catholic boys’ school in Malaya and the first Lasallian school in Asia.

For many years, the school accepted girls for its Form Six classes.

Chow commended the decision undertaken by SXI to become a coed school, which would be good to boost enrolment.

“It is good to hear that the institution has decided to include girls in the school, which would definitely give a new dimension to it.

“And speaking on the population of the school, perhaps SXI can look to its feeder schools (SK St Xavier and SK St Xavier Branch) to help increase the population,” he said.

Others in the SXI delegation included board members Ooi Gim Ewe and Quah Boo Hock, and SXI Parent-Teacher Association members Victor Tan and See Swee Sie.