Essington and Haileybury fighting for teachers, students in Darwin’s private school battle

A BATTLE for students and teachers is on between Darwin’s two leading private schools

Principal of Essington School David Cannon

DARWIN’S two leading private schools are locked in battle to enrol the city’s brightest students and best teachers.

Essington International School, at Nightcliff, has 1201 students enrolled from preschool to Year 12 and is expecting similar numbers in 2019.

The new Haileybury Rendall School at Berrimah has established a growing number of enrolments with its 448 students to get a boost with the completion of their second boarding house in 2019.

Both schools were reluctant to reveal exact enrolment details to the NT News because it constantly changed leading up to the start of the school year.

Essington principal David Cannon said he was aware of some students who were transferring to Haileybury in 2019, acknowledging the presence of the new school had impacted on numbers. He said nine students were moving from Essington to other schools next year. Last night, however, he confirmed nine students were moving from Haileybury to Essington.

“Overall enrolment numbers have been stable during the last three years through the completion of the Inpex gas project and the local economic difficulties, the decline in the overall Darwin population and the appearance of Haileybury in the marketplace,” Dr Cannon said. “Many Essington families are however finding the local economic situation challenging and finding it increasingly difficult to fund fees for one or more children.”

Dr Cannon added: “We have 50 students moving interstate and six moving overseas which is a reflection on the local economy. Overall we are expecting to have a net gain of up to 64 students for the start of the new school year.”

One teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, told the NT News they were aware of nine teachers leaving Essington at the end of the year, some of whom were going to Haileybury. “Essington has been around for a very long time and they’re comfortable with things the way they are but times have changed,” they said.

Before Haileybury took over the now defunct Kormilda College last year, the school was able to accommodate up to 230 indigenous students.

However, that number was brought down when Haileybury said it would only be able to take about 80 indigenous students this year because it was upgrading boarding accommodation.

The Coalition Government is handing over up to $13 million in taxpayers’ money over four years to help the school retain the Aboriginal boarding house operation.

However, Haileybury spokeswoman Sarah Bryan said the school would only be increasing their indigenous boarder numbers by 20 in 2019.

“We have recently completed the renovation on the second boarding house ready for the new academic year and, yes, this will result in us increasing our numbers of indigenous boarders to for 2019,” she said.

“We are aiming for a total of 100 indigenous boarders.”

In October 2016, the Gunner Government approved a $5.1 million bailout of Kormilda College to keep it operating until the end of that school year.