NSW Labor has unveiled Sydney's inner west as the first area to get better access to co-educational high schools, if it wins the election in March.
The opposition has promised to give families who live in single-sex school areas the option of attending a co-ed school.
Currently a child has to apply — and could be knocked back — if there is no space available.
Labor says it will expand catchment areas for co-ed schools to guarantee a spot is available and will start implementing the policy in the inner west.
"The inner west is a priority for us," Opposition Leader Chris Minns said.
"We can't be in a situation in modern Australia where you've only got the choice of single-sex schools for your children."
The area has high schools for girls in Canterbury, Strathfield and Burwood, while Canterbury also has a boys high school, along with Homebush and Ashfield.
"This has a high concentration of schools that are single-sex," Mr Minns said.
"We want to make sure we are starting somewhere and building towards offering that co-educational option for families in New South Wales."
The opposition says it's confident it can initially meet the demand by accommodating students at Concord High, Dulwich High and Strathfield South High, but is also investigating whether new co-ed schools need to be built.
Summer Hill parent, Conor Woods, has a daughter and a son and has welcomed the policy.
"I would love them to go to a co-ed environment and I know it'd be great not just for the fact that it would be one drop-off," he said.
"If you're splitting up genders, you're breaking up peer groups."
Mr Woods says the single-sex school model seems "odd" especially for his children.
"You suddenly discover these guys are going to primary school together and then when it comes to high school, we've got to split them apart.
"It just seems bizarre."
There are currently 45 single-sex public schools in NSW — most are in Sydney.
A new single-sex school hasn't been created since the 1960s by the government.
Labor intends to keep existing single-sex schools open.
"We don't want to stop a school or an educational institution that's got a record of success," Mr Minns said.
"One sibling may thrive and survive in an all boys or all girls school but another kid may do better in a co-educational institutional."
The government has already made the change to catchment rules in Georges River, in Sydney's south.
It's also consulting with families in the eastern suburbs.
Labor has not revealed how it would rollout its policy across all areas.
