Boys now make up 60 per cent of students who get ATARs above 99.
Some coaching colleges are making a motza playing on parents’ hopes their children can make the grade in the selective school test.
Schools catering for gifted kids have an important place in public education,but we have veered well away from this ambition in NSW.
A major Sydney coaching college is instructing parents on which selective schools they should choose,which analysts warn is misleading and fuelling anxiety among students.
More than 100 selective school candidates secured access to a department website which allowed them to view their school offers.
Options include making Balgowlah Boys co-ed,doing the same with Mackellar Girls,or allowing local students to enrol at Manly Selective until year 9.
The outgoing head of James Ruse Agricultural High Rachel Powell said she believes in parents having “school choice” between single-sex and co-ed options.
Despite a revamp,children from disadvantaged backgrounds are severely underrepresented in selective schools. There’s more to do.
A major study of NSW students spanning more than a decade has measured life outcomes of children who attended a selective school.
The top school for students vying for entry into the selective system had almost double the number of first preferences than the best-performing HSC school.
The removal of funds from schools’ bank accounts comes after a funding freeze and coincides with a $10,000 pay rise for teachers.