Last bastions of male exclusivity in Kerala’s higher education fall

St. Berchmans College in Changanassery and St. Thomas College in Pala, both run by the Catholic Church in central Travancore, will start admitting female students to their government-aided undergraduate programmes beginning this academic year

An era has ended and new doors have swung open. Two of Kerala’s last men’s-only colleges, which for long stood as bastions of masculine exclusivity, have finally yielded to change and will now welcome women.

St. Berchmans College in Changanassery and St. Thomas College in Pala, both run by the Catholic Church in central Travancore, will start admitting female students to their government-aided undergraduate programmes beginning this academic year. According to college authorities, this decision comes in response to a growing demand among the younger generation for co-educational institutions.

Although these institutions have offered co-educational self-financing courses since the early 2000s, their traditional courses remained off-limits to women until now. But with the soaring demand for nursing and increased international migration triggering a fall in enrollment, they have finally decided to smash the gender barrier.

“The concept of educational institutions exclusively for men has long lost its significance. In fact, it now stands in our way of developing St. Thomas College into a university. It is in this context that we have decided to end the single-sex dominance in aided courses, coinciding with the launch of new four-year UG programmes,” explained Father Mathew Alappattumedayil, Bursar of St. Thomas College, Pala.

The administration of St. Berchmans College has also attributed this move to changing cultural sensitivities and is relying on it to address the sharp decline in demand for traditional courses. With male students gravitating towards skill-based courses that enhance job prospects, the college hopes the admission of women will help alleviate the crisis, especially in the life sciences.

“History has come full circle for SB College, which admitted women students until 1954. The college became a male-only institution with the opening of Assumption College by the same management, located next door,” said Father Reji P. Kurien, the college Principal.

Similarly, St. Thomas College admitted women students for three years starting in 1967, before instituting a gender barrier with the opening of Alphonsa College for women nearby.