Inspiring students to excel is an idea worth pursuing

March 2, 2026 — 5:00am

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

Save this article for later

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.

How do you provide a stimulating and challenging education for our best and brightest minds while simultaneously ensuring quality standards are met for all students across the board?

This tricky question has become increasingly important for the NSW public education system in recent years as private and independent schools continue to chip away at the edges of overall government school enrolments.

As the Herald recently reported, the share of students in NSW attending a public school has fallen for the seventh consecutive year, while the proportion of families choosing a Catholic or private school has climbed to its highest point in the state’s history.

An analysis of government enrolment data by Catholic Schools NSW revealed the drop-off in public school enrolment share equates to 37,000 fewer students in that system over the past five years.

The NSW Department of Education has a target to increase the enrolment share of NSW public schools from 62.9 per cent in 2023 to 65.5 per cent in 2034. However, last year, the public school enrolment share stood at 61.5 per cent, according to the Catholic Schools analysis.

Part of the appeal of the independent sector is the perception that children will be encouraged to excel.

Now comes news that more than 750,000 students in comprehensive public schools will be able to access specialist gifted programs this year, as part of an overhaul to ensure the needs of high-potential students are being met beyond prestigious selective options.

At Monday’s Sydney Morning Herald Schools Summit, Education Minister Prue Car will explain how the new program called Inspire will deliver enrichment streams, extension classes and STEM programs.

Eight non-selective schools across the state established extension classes this year, with a further 20 set to offer a gifted class from 2027.

The aim of all this is to ensure that all gifted students get a chance to succeed, not just the limited numbers who compete for places in over-subscribed selective schools. But of course, another unspoken aim is to defend the public system from competition from the independent sector.

The previous Coalition government policy was supposed to make gifted education training available at all schools, to ensure that 80,000 gifted students were extended, even if they did not attend a selective school or opportunity class. In 2024, it was estimated that only half of public schools had any program in place.

University of NSW gifted education expert Professor Jae Jung said that if schools did not cater to gifted students, those students would fail to engage.

“They will tune out, they will be bored, they will drop out of school. Some estimates have it up to more than 50 per cent of gifted students are not achieving to their full potential,” he said.

This attempt to offer a broader range of options for students in the public system makes perfect sense – but, as always, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.

If the Minns government can deliver on this important initiative, it will be an achievement for all parents to celebrate.

Get a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up for our Opinion newsletter.

You have reached your maximum number of saved items.

Remove items from your saved list to add more.

© The Sydney Morning Herald