Nine Sydney schools will add opportunity classes for gifted primary students from 2025. But the flipside is that, in some schools already offering the specialised classes, class sizes will be cut to enable the redistribution of places.
The move comes as the New South Wales state government attempts to reduce overcrowding in some schools, while shifting students to schools that are currently underpopulated.
Parent Wendy Bui hopes the announcement may benefit her ten-year-old son, Eddie.
With new classes scheduled to be offered in Lindfield East, Brookvale and Maroubra Junction Public, the Coogee mum is looking forward to the chance to help her child excel academically and, although she knows the fierce competition for places means there is no guarantee, she says adding extra classes in different areas will help families across the state find a local school to suit their child’s unique educational needs.
As a single mother, she says finding the money needed to pay a private school education – even with a scholarship discount – is challenging.
“Getting him into an opportunity class at a local school that can recognise his potential – and help him do even better – is really exciting,” she told EducationDaily, adding that her goal for his future is to secure him a place at a selective secondary school.
Same amount of places – just redistributed
NSW Education Minister Prue Car says widening the distribution of places to more schools will make it easier for Opportunity Class (OC) students to attend the same school as their siblings.
“These new placements will also reduce the reliance on demountables at existing schools with OC classes, where capacity constraints often prevent sibling enrolments,” Ms Car said. “The chosen schools are more able to accept out-of-area students.”
Although the total number of OC positions will remain steady at 1840, the number of schools offering the places will increase to 87, including one school in Moss Vale and nine schools in Sydney.
The sought-after classes are designed to nurture the brightest year five and six students in the state, with many parents seeing a secure OC placement as a springboard to selective high schools. Demand for gifted classes has boomed in the past ten years, with this year’s entry attracting 15,300 applicants.
With hundreds of Sydney’s private coaching colleges promoting intensive OC preparation programs – many charging $600-per-term fees for mock exam courses aimed at primary students – the soaring number of student applicants looks set to continue.
Under the changes, the public schools that will gain one class for 15 gifted students include Blacktown West, Brookvale, Lindfield East, Maroubra Junction, Miranda, Penrith, St Clair, Wahroonga and Toongabbie. Currently, some of these schools run below 70 per cent of their enrolment cap.
But with thousands of applicants and still only less than 2000 places – despite the redistribution of them – some experts believe governments should consider universal testing of all students to access gifted or opportunity classes as a way to “stream based on evidence”.
Only one in 10 kids seeking OC placements make the grade
In 2018, a major NSW Education Department review of the state’s selective schools revealed fewer applications from students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, Aboriginal students, those with a disability and students from rural and remote areas.
A new equity model – rolled out in 2023 – set aside 20 per cent of OC places for disadvantaged students, with about 350 initial offers for this year for students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Last week, Ms Car announced an intensified focus on ensuring high potential and gifted education programs were available in all schools. At the moment, a NSW Education Department spokesperson said such programs were available in only half of the state’s public schools, which usually involved extension or enrichment classes, in-class grouping or accelerated classes.
“A review of the high potential and gifted education policy is under way, and updates will be provided later this year,” the spokesperson said.
