Girls will be allowed to enrol at a fee-paying boys school in Dublin for the first time in its 91-year history, it has been announced.

Sandford Park School in Ranelagh will begin admissions for girls of all age groups from September 2013 after suffering a drop in the number of enrolments, the Irish Independent reports.

Fee-paying schools across the country have been affected by the economic downturn and the EUR6,974-a-year Sandford Park recently ran an unconventional advertising campaign on buses.

On its website, the school describes the move to co-education as "the fulfillment of the original intention and vision" of its founder Alfred Le Peton.

However, it is widely speculated the move has more to do with the financial strain placed on the institution by cuts in state support and declining pupil numbers

As a further indication of the problems being faced by fee-paying schools, it is reported that several have approached the Department of Education with a view to becoming part of the free education sector.

Written by Donal Walsh.

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