Are you in the zone? The battle of the school catchment zone

Parents will go to extraodinary emotional and financial lengths to get into the school zone they think is right for their child. No wonder those who have been cut out are feeling angry.

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Fake addresses, renting post boxes or using Grandma and Grandpa’s home.

These were some of the ways parents, desperate to get their children the best education, tried to get a spot in the “right” school — if they didn’t live in the “right” zone.

“We’ve had parents give addresses that ended up being local parks or reserves,” one principal told me many years back, while I was working on an investigation of school zones in Adelaide.

Those methods are a little harder to get away with these days, with many schools demanding stringent checks where you must provide three copies of household bills, property titles, several proof-of-identity documents and your firstborn … OK, maybe not the last one, but you get the idea.

It shows just how much importance is placed by families on getting their children a good education, in what they deem to be the best school to suit their kids.

It’s no wonder parents are furious after being dumped from Adelaide’s CBD public high schools in a rezoning overhaul.

More than 1450 have already signed a petition calling for the State Government to reconsider.

Online there was a rush of people calling these parents “entitled” and telling them to get over it.

These keyboard warriors were quick to point out that school zones can change and that parents never had a gurarntee.

But, for many, the rezoning not only means their children can no longer attend the high school of their choice, there is also a financial blow.

House prices in the area will most certainly take a hit.

Ask any real estate agent and they’ll tell you that school zones factor in peoples’ decision to buy.

Knowledge is power and a good education can offer a foundation to success, fulfilment, a better life and a richer society.

We want for our kids to be well-equipped, independent thinkers with a well-rounded education when they go to make their way in the world.

School is not responsible for all of that, of course.

But, for six hours a day, five days a week, the impact of a good classroom environment and wonderful teachers cannot be underestimated.

I’ve had many conversations with mums and dads about the financial and emotional lengths they’ve gone through to ensure they are “in the zone”.

I’ve heard of parents moving house solely to get their child in the right high school catchment; one family moved just three streets over, another bought the house on one side of the street instead of the one across the road — and paid almost $50,000 more — because it fell in their preferred zone.

When making one of the biggest financial purchases of our lives, a key factor when buying a home these days is often not about ensuites, a second living area or renovated kitchen, but whether or not the address will allow our children to attend a certain school.

If knowledge is power and education one of its key pillars, no wonder school zones are such a consideration when buying a home.

These are not “entitled” parents.

They are just parents who are trying to do the best for their kids.

Kara Jung is digital editor at Messenger Community News.