{"id":64964,"date":"2022-09-26T16:40:33","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T20:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=64964"},"modified":"2022-09-26T16:40:33","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T20:40:33","slug":"is-selective-school-right-for-your-child-here-are-7-questions-to-help-you-decide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/is-selective-school-right-for-your-child-here-are-7-questions-to-help-you-decide\/","title":{"rendered":"Is selective school right for your child? Here are 7 questions to help you decide"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Parents and students are currently making big decisions about next year.<\/p>\n

Some will have just received or be about to receive offers of a selective school place for 2023. Other parents need to decide soon if they will\u00a0apply<\/a>\u00a0for their children to sit selective schools tests next year for entry in 2024. Or if they should be looking at other high school options.<\/p>\n

These decisions can seem overwhelming for families. What are some of the issues to consider?<\/p>\n

What is selective school?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Selective schools are\u00a0public high schools<\/a>\u00a0where students sit a competitive test to be accepted the year before entry.<\/p>\n

They are\u00a0mostly found<\/a>\u00a0in New South Wales, where there are about 50 schools. But there are small number in other states, including\u00a0Queensland <\/a>(years 7 to 12),\u00a0Victoria<\/a>\u00a0(years 9 to 12) and\u00a0Western Australia<\/a>\u00a0(7 to 12).<\/p>\n

The success rate varies, but is is very competitive. For example, in NSW this. year, there were\u00a015,660 applications<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a04,248 places<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The pros and cons<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Selective school places are highly sought-after \u2013 these schools feature prominently in the top schools for year 12 results. But they don\u2019t have the fees of elite private schools.<\/p>\n

Some students feel energised by the \u201cbest of the best\u201d atmosphere in which they can focus and find similarly capable peers.<\/p>\n

But there is an\u00a0ongoing debate<\/a>\u00a0about whether they should exist in the first place. There is also an obvious focus on test performance, rather than the\u00a0modern skills students<\/a>\u00a0need to learn such as collaboration, tech literacy and\u00a0creativity<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And while academic streaming does\u00a0seem<\/a>\u00a0to improve the performance of high achievers, it can harm the confidence of those who get in (as well as those who don\u2019t). As Australian Catholic University education scholar Associate Professor Philip Parker\u00a0has explained<\/a>, selective schools can create a \u201cbig fish little pond\u201d effect where students lose a realistic sense of where they fall within the full student achievement spectrum.<\/p>\n

Even if students gain a place at selective school, they can find the\u00a0competition<\/a>\u00a0counter-productive. Australian selective school students are increasingly\u00a0speaking out<\/a>\u00a0about the mental health impacts of studying in a stressful, competitive environment.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget tutoring<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Australian tutoring industry is huge, not just for parents seeking to improve their child\u2019s performance in class, but in\u00a0preparation<\/a>\u00a0for selective entry exams.<\/p>\n

While the entry tests measure general literacy, maths and logic skills \u2013 and do not require study \u2013\u00a0many students<\/a>\u00a0undergo months or even years of expensive and often stressful tutoring to prepare.<\/p>\n

A 2010 US study suggested tutoring and coaching for selective entry exams only had a\u00a0moderate effect<\/a>\u00a0on student\u2019s results, but this is far from conclusive. Given the competition to gain entry to these schools, students and their parents may be more confident knowing they\u2019ve had tutoring. That confidence alone may improve their performance.<\/p>\n

What should parents think about?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s understandable that parents might be confused. How do you know if the selective school is right for your child? Here are some issues to consider:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. school culture<\/strong>: are the schools you are considering particularly competitive? Do they have an emphasis on other activities, away from exam marks? Do they encourage sport, music or creative arts? Do they emphasise mental health? Do they have programs to support students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse identities?<\/li>\n
  2. location<\/strong>: if your child is successful, will it mean a very long commute for them?<\/li>\n
  3. your child\u2019s strengths<\/strong>: does your child enjoy school work and sitting tests? Or do their strengths lie in other, less traditionally academic areas?<\/li>\n
  4. your child\u2019s temperament<\/strong>: does your child become anxious in testing situations, or do they enjoy the \u201cperformance\u201d aspect of them?<\/li>\n
  5. your child\u2019s opinion<\/strong>: is your child self-motivated to go to a selective school, or are you trying to convince them it\u2019s \u201cgood\u201d for them? If they are keen, giving them a chance – with the appropriate support – might help them decide.<\/li>\n
  6. tutoring<\/strong>: does your child want to do tutoring or exam preparation? Can you afford the fees and time if they do?<\/li>\n
  7. your child\u2019s teacher<\/strong>: have you had conversations with your child\u2019s teachers? Do they believe your child has the academic aptitude and emotional capacity to thrive in a selective school environment?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Author Bio:<\/strong> Daniel X. Harris is Professor and Associate Dean, Research & Innovation at RMIT University<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Parents and students are currently making big decisions about next year. Some will have just received or be about to receive offers of a selective school place for 2023. Other parents need to decide soon if they will\u00a0apply\u00a0for their children to sit selective schools tests next year for entry in 2024. Or if they should […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15645],"tags":[401025],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-64964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","tag-selective-schools"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs selective school right for your child? 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