More students from disadvantaged backgrounds are to gain places in opportunity classes and selective high schools following changes to the selection process.
In a statement, the Department of Education said selective high schools and opportunity classes were part of its offerings for high potential and gifted students, providing specialist school settings that catered to their intellectual ability.
Announced by Minister for Education and Early Learning, Sarah Mitchell, changes to the selection process follows the State’s 2018 review of access to opportunity classes and selective high schools.
Ms Mitchell said the review found certain groups of high potential students were missing out on places because of their low socio-economic background or Aboriginal background, or because they had a disability or lived in a rural or remote area.
She said the new process would reserve up to 20 per cent of places for students from these four equity groups.
“A student’s academic potential should not be determined by where they live, their background, or their disability,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Every student who gains placement in an opportunity class or selective high school will deserve their place and have the academic talent to fulfil their potential,” she said.
“The combination of current acceptance rates of students from identified equity groups and the new reserved places will ensure selective schools are more reflective of the proportions of equity groups enrolled in NSW public schools.”
Ms Mitchell said if there were not enough applications to a particular school from students from under-represented groups or if the students did not meet the minimum performance requirements, the held places would be offered to general applicants based on their highest performance on the placement test.
