[solresol]

More worryingly, only one of the Sydney selective schools actually is vaguely representative of the Sydney population. James Ruse, for example has far less students from low-income families than Cumberland High does, which is on the other side of the street.

In practice, the selective school places are awarded to the children of parents who are willing to send their kids to coaching college throughout years 4 and 5. Hence the higher asian population. Actually having a high IQ (my two children were tested by a leading psychologist above 99.8% and 99.9% of the population for example) doesn't get you there.

And slightly worse -- if you are smart and are accelerated, then you hit high school below the age range for which you can sit the selective test.

The result is that schools such as James Ruse underperform: when the candidature were all in the top 1-2% at year 7, there are plenty of year 12 students who don't get even in the top 5%.

But in principle it works out very well. The teachers can run classes at a rate more appropriate for the students, bullying is less prevalent, etc. So it's definitely worth doing (for the students) if the entrance criteria are half-way sane.

The effect it has on the students who don't get into selective school though is a bit sad. It's also depressing for the teachers at comprehensive schools who may be working just as hard as those at the selective schools, but won't get rewarded from having highly successful students.