Selective high schools in Australia have long been polarising - loved by parents of chosen students and loathed by those who regard them as elitist.
Government research shows that enrollments are dominated by children from advantaged backgrounds at the exclusion of gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This occurs most in New South Wales, where the number of selective high schools heavily outweighs other states and territories. So, how did we get here?
A hangover from the past
The selective high school system is a relic of the history of formal education in Australia.
All secondary schooling was selective until the 1960s - only those who passed a test in primary school went onto further academic education.
It wasn't until the 1980s that everyone had the opportunity to complete year 12 - that's when many schools in Australia became open to all.
At this time, the issue became political in NSW. University of Sydney professor Dr Craig Campbell said parents in Sydney were deserting their local comprehensive schools to "advantage their kids".
The number of selective schools in NSW outnumbers the rest of the country combined. Source: The Feed/Patrick Forrest
"So the Labor and Liberal state governments revived the selective process," he said.
Over the next three decades, more selective schools were formed in NSW - as well as selective streams in mixed secondary schools - outpacing the growth in other states and territories.
Dr Campbell said this has contributed to NSW having the most socially exclusive schools in the country.
"Compared to comprehensive schools, there is a very high proportion of parents of selective school students who are tertiary educated."
Selective high-schools were initially formed so that academically gifted students could be around like-minded students.
Students at the end of primary school elect to sit a test and - depending on their results - are chosen to enrol in a selective high school.
Former NSW Liberal Minister for Education and director of the Gonski Institute for Education Adrian Piccoli said selective schools are objectively no "better" than comprehensive high schools.
"But students are surrounded by like-minded and academically motivated peers," he said.
Now a drive for parents to send their kids to selective schools to gain a perceived advantage has created an extreme level of competition, says Mr Piccoli.
Parental education levels of students in selective schools in 2016 Source: The Feed/Patrick Forrest
Leaving naturally gifted students behind
A review of selective education access by the NSW State Government last year found that there were fewer applications from educationally disadvantaged students, Aboriginal students, students with a disability and girls.
The report acknowledges that students from disadvantaged backgrounds face unintended barriers to entry.
Mr Picolli said the entry process is now a detriment to students.
"If you have the financial resources to pay for tutoring then there is a significant advantage," he said.
"It's not serving the purpose that all children in public education have a chance to go to selective schools and that's largely due to tutoring."
Mr Piccoli suggested that the concept of selective schools may now be counter productive.
"You do want to give the opportunity to put gifted and talented students together. But we are seeing some negative consequences of the process."
Mr Piccoli said the government should not establish any more selective schools and more work should be done to encourage a cross-section of gifted students entry to selective school.
