Copyright brisbanetimes
While the NSW Department of Education has always denied that external tutoring is necessary – or even advantageous – for admission into its selective schools, it is undeniable that children who receive external tutoring do very well academically. And, once enrolled in a selective school, it is easy to see how the concerns raised by the teachers Ho spoke to in her research come to light: a widening gap in abilities among students. Both cohorts may be very bright, but if half the class has learnt the content before at tutoring, they are undeniably advantaged. Carroll reports that selective school principals have estimated 90 per cent of their students are tutored. Each year, major coaching colleges share the names of their students who receive HSC marks with the same pride as those students’ schools. The prevalence of tutoring in Sydney highlights the influence of a less shadowy, and more often than not celebrated, two-tiered element in the city’s education system: selective schools. NSW has many more selective public schools than any other state.
