MANILA — La Salle Green Hills (LSGH) is opening its doors to female students this year, marking the end of an era for the private Catholic school which has been exclusive for boys since 1959.

LSGH, which offers elementary and secondary education, will go coeducational, specifically in its senior high school, or grades 11-12.

The change is "part of our transition to an integrated school for SY 2020-2021," LSGH president Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC said in a May 12 letter to the school community.

The first 20 female applicants will be offered a tuition subsidy, LSGH said.

Previously, Ateneo de Manila High School, also once an all-boys school, welcomed female students in 2016 to its inaugural senior high school program.

Most De La Salle Philippines institutions are coeducational, including De La Salle Santiago Zobel School, which similarly offers elementary and high school education.

LSGH's coeducational transition was only one of two major changes detailed in the May 12 announcement.

When classes start on July 20, LSGH will introduce a new, home-based online learning program, which will then transition to "blended" learning (which includes the classroom setup) either in the second or third trimesters, depending on the state of the pandemic.