The public school cringe an outdated stereotype

DEBATE over private versus public education has long raged, but the latest Queensland’s OP results prove success can be found at both.

More than a third of Queensland secondary students attend private schools, with parents forking out as much as $25,000 a year in fees.

New data from the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority Year 12 Outcomes report revealed how students at each school landed in the top OP1-5 bracket.

Although private schools were prominent, a large number of Queensland’s state schools and colleges also boasted highperforming students landing top OP rankings. Among them were Cairns School of Distance Education and Malanda State High School.

Teachers’ Union president Kevin Bates said educators in the public sphere taught students from diverse backgrounds, and OP rankings were just one of many pathways.

“There are students with really good outcomes across Queensland, and often these students have achieved these despite the disadvantages they have, or their location or community,” Mr Bates said.

Last year’s OP results revealed why some parents chose to invest heavily finan- cially into private education.

Independent Schools Queensland executive director David Robertson said independent schools welcomed a diverse range of students with a wide range of aspirations.

“Historically, independent schools have very high academic outcomes for those students who want to go down that pathway, and we should be congratulating and celebrating their schools,” Mr Robertson said.

“But there is no one way or one measure which says ‘this is the best school’. There’s a whole range of factors, especially about it being the right fit for the child. That’s partly what our sector is about.”