The region from Parramatta to the Olympic Peninsula has become a river of talent.
Aspirational families are moving in, many from Indian, Nepali, Chinese, Korean and other migrant backgrounds. Over the past five years, census data shows the number of residents with university degrees has soared.
Right on Parramatta’s doorstep, Westmead is easily one of the world’s premier health and innovation precincts, home to four hospitals and cutting-edge medical training and research. Sydney has Tech Central.
Westmead is MedTech Central. Traffic snarls and phalanxes of students pounding pavements are common each morning and afternoon.
School enrolments are set to explode even further with the proposed Catholic “super campus” expansion doubling the capacity of existing Mother Teresa Primary, and Catherine McCauley and Parramatta Marist high schools, to as many as 6,000 students.
Now, an exclamation point has been put on Westmead’s future with the promise of a new 1,000-student primary school and 2,000-student selective high school. The vision is that pupils will receive an elite vocational experience by learning from doctors, researchers and other top practitioners, with the goal of incubating the “next Nobel Prize winner”.
Premier Dominic Perrottet’s announcement at last week’s Bradfield Oration attracted positive coverage on all TV networks. It is pitched straight at Parramatta’s aspirational parents who would like nothing more than for their children to be doctors. And it is impossible to separate from the need to hold onto marginal seats at the upcoming state election.
Beyond the headlines, the government deserves to face real questions about delivery. Back in 2018, it announced a new primary school in Westmead to take pressure off the overcrowded catchment area south of the rail line. Years later, there is still no site.
Another selective school promised by Gladys Berejiklian in south-west Sydney has yet to materialise.
Nevertheless, evidencing the electoral power of the education issue (with One Nation’s Mark Latham also beating the drum), there are signs that NSW Labor is also prepared to support targeted selective school expansion. In October, opposition education spokesperson Prue Car was quoted as follows: “There are increasing numbers of people moving into new areas, particularly migrants who really aspire to send their child to selective schools. I think the government needs to respect that.”
In a widely-read piece, the Sydney Morning Herald’s Jordan Baker argued last week that the growth of selective schools has been a regressive development – with almost 50 in NSW compared to Victoria’s four.
High schools like James Ruse in Carlingford have become a honey pot, with residents moving into the area and putting their children through extra-hours coaching to prepare for entrance exams.
Not every family can afford this, which is itself a source of inequity.
However, any criticism of the proposed selective school at Westmead is likely out of step with many local families, particularly those from migrant backgrounds. The reality is that education can support both excellence and equity.
In a growing population, school choice is important. There are public schools and private schools, ranging from low-fee to the most exclusive. We have Catholic schools, Islamic schools, Jewish schools and even an emerging proposal to open a new Hindu school.
The meaning of gifted and talented should also not be cast too narrowly.
Whether a child is good at academics, sports or performing arts, a thriving system can support them all.
At the same time, it is important to remember that every child matters and so does every school, from Holroyd to Macarthur Girls, Granville Boys and Pendle Hill High. This means the government should be looking to expand opportunity classes and gifted and talented streams more widely.
Judging by the latest international rankings, improving student performance in maths is an issue across the board. And achieving success in today’s fast-changing digital economy will require greater integration between schools and vocational training, not just for an elite few – but everyone.
With the right staffing and resources, there’s no reason every school can’t be a wonderful school or nurture a Nobel Prize winner. Now that’s a vision worth supporting.
Alan is a journalist and communications specialist. He writes a weekly column for Parra News.