Fears lottery entry system inevitable for Brisbane State High School

Parents hoping to get their children into Brisbane State High School face a lottery system if “gaming’’ of enrolment rules is not stopped, the school council fears.

David Gillespie, a former Brisbane State High school council chair, says a lottery system is inevitable if “gaming’’ of enrolments is not stopped. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Queensland parents are being gamed by a century-old rule stopping their children from getting into one of the state’s most elite schools.

In a shock revelation made to the Brisbane State High School council earlier this month, Education Queensland ruled that the school’s merit quota would be reduced to 35 per cent from term 1 next year, with 65 per cent of students to come from in-catchment enrolments.

Only a few years ago the ratio was 50:50.

Former BSHS council chair and author of Free Schools, David Gillespie, slammed the change, saying parents of high achieving children will effectively go into a lottery to get in, as other parents “game” enrolment rules to ensure their kids get a spot.

“The old rule, going back to the 1800s, was that children should go to the school in the area they live in on enrolment day,’’ Mr Gillespie said.

“What we’re seeing at Brisbane State High is parents moving into the catchment to get enrolment, then moving out.

“Their address needs to follow them through their child’s six-year (secondary) school journey.’’

The issue has sparked calls to convert the nearby Brisbane South State Secondary College in Dutton Park, one of former Deputy Premier Jackie Trad’s last projects in office, into a secondary campus for BSHS to free up space.

BSHS council member Bryce Corbett backed that idea, saying taxpayers were billed $200m for BSSSC, ostensibly to fix overcrowding at State High.

But four years after opening, the new Dutton Park school was still only at 60 per cent capacity and two-thirds of its students came from out of catchment, according to EQ figures.

“It’s a $200m white elephant. The solution is simple — designate Brisbane State High as an academy under the Education Act like the Queensland Academy of Science, Maths & Technology at Toowong and the Queensland Academy of Creative Industries at Kelvin Grove,’’ he said.

“Those students who don’t make the cut at State High can go up the road to BSSSC, as was always the intention.’’

Former Labor South Brisbane MP Jackie Trad at the site of the BSSSC campus. Picture: Richard Walker

There has been massive backlash at the latest erosion of the merit program, with a change.org petition attracting more than 2000 signatures in its first two days, including from many well-known alumni.

Mr Gillespie, a “Churchie’’ graduate whose six children went to State High, said if the enrolment rule was not changed there would be no merit system at all in years to come.

“You don’t have to project too far forward where people who are genuinely locals compete with those who are not,’’ he said.

“We will then have to go to a lottery system and no one will like that.’’

Indooroopilly State High School scrapped its merit system entirely this year to try to rein in surging enrolments, including from families who lived nowhere near the elite school.

Mansfield and Cavendish Road state highs faced similar pressure, although others with well-regarded selective entry programs such as The Gap were still a long way off imposing drastic measures to limit enrolment.

Top state secondary campuses such as Mansfield State High School have come under huge enrolment pressure in recent years as parents struggle to afford fees at elite private schools. Picture: Richard Waugh

BSHS has a stellar alumni, ranging from rugby league great Wally Lewis and Olympic swimmer Duncan Armstrong, to politicians like Federal Minister for Employment Murray Watt, TV presenters Heather Foord and Sandra Sully and actors such as Ray Barrett.

Australian Catholic University inclusive education researcher, Dr Mathew White, said while there should be good schools in every area that could meet the diverse needs of students, the reality was gifted students often needed the stimulus provided by selective schools.

“There’s a lot of students who have a high academic capacity, so wherever they were to go they would do well,’’ he said.

“But gifted students require a pedagogy (teaching methods) that meets their needs.

“What you find in selective schools is it’s not just the students, the teachers adjust their pedagogy for their cohorts — there’s more challenging curriculums to allow these students to move at their own pace, as opposed to being held back.

“If you limit the number of students going through these (merit entry) programs, there’s a reduction of potential.’’

BSHS alumni (clockwise from top left) TV presenter Sandra Sully, rugby league great Wally Lewis, South Brisbane Greens MP Amy MacMahon, Supreme Court justice Peter Applegarth, children’s author Jackie French and Olympic swimmer Duncan Armstrong.

One educator, who did not want to be named, said Education Queensland did not seem to understand the “gem’’ it had.

“If you’re a farmer and you have a prize bull, you don’t shoot it,’’ she said.

“Does anyone say to the Broncos ‘you can’t take the best performers from junior academies’?’’

She said merit entry was an important part of the school’s success, but so was its leadership.

There were only three OP1 students when former executive principal Wade Haynes took over in 2011, but by the time he left in 2023 there were about 60.

Last year it topped the nation for the number of 99.95 ATARs, the highest possible university entrance score.

“I look at State High as a leg up school. It allows kids with great ability to take that next step up,’’ she said.

“I don’t think Education Queensland realises the gem it has.’’