History rewritten as girls breach 233-year-old St Joseph’s Boys’ bastion in Kozhikode | WATCH

Kozhikode: Breaking a tradition spanning more than two centuries, a group of 55 trailblazing girls made history by stepping through the gates of St Joseph’s Boys’ Higher Secondary School for their Plus One admission.

Far from being dismayed by the sudden end to their historic monopoly, the boys at one of Kerala's oldest public schools welcomed their new classmates with loud cheers and a festive celebration, eager to share the benches for the very first time.
 

The momentous shift marks the first time girls have been admitted to the institution since its founding 233 years ago. School authorities expect the number of female students to rise even further once the trail allotment process is concluded.

The pioneer of a new era

The honour of being the first-ever girl to secure admission went to K Shivani, a resident of Payyanakkal and an alumnus of the Anglo Indian Girls' School. School management admitted they were pleasantly surprised by Shivani’s bold decision to pioneer the change. She has enrolled in the Computer Science stream.

Reflecting on the historic transition, the school's principal, Father Sooraj Dominic, remarked that the shift towards co-education was a progressive milestone that should have been taken much earlier.

While the historic first day wrapped up by noon to allow students to settle in, regular classes running from 9 am to 4.30 pm will resume as normal. Looking ahead, the institution plans to expand this co-educational model by opening admissions to girls from Class 5 starting next academic year.