Enrolment rule could end family first status

The tradition of Christchurch parents sending their son or daughter to their former school could end as part of a radical shake up of the enrolment process.

The children or siblings of former students could lose priority status for out-of-zone applications under plans being considered by the Ministry of Education.

The ministry has acknowledged schools that are known for their ‘‘Old Boy/Girl cultures’’ could be affected by the change.

Christchurch school boards say they will stage talks in the coming weeks to decide how to respond to the proposals. Schools that operate an enrolment scheme could offer excess places to out-of-zone students, with priority given to children who had been accepted into a special programme, then to the siblings of current students.

Third and fourth priority was given to the children of former siblings and the children of former students.

But one ministry proposal would scrap the parental priority, and elevate the children of board members and a school’s employees to priority three.

The changes were proposed after a 2019 investigation found ‘‘systemic inequities in educational outcomes in New Zealand’’. The taskforce concluded that ‘‘improving equity of access to schooling’’ was important to reducing this.

The ministry said there might be a risk that ‘‘prioritising some family connections, especially links between former students and their children, could contribute to inequity’’.

‘‘The current priority groups place a high value on familial connection to a school, even if that connection was some time ago through a sibling who no longer attends the school or a parent who once attended the school,’’ a ministry report said.

Christchurch Boys’ High School headmaster Nic Hill said the board would discuss the changes at its next meeting on May 25.

‘‘The board are aware of the underlying importance of building community for education to be effective and this fact, along with our other values, will inform our response.’’

Avonside Girls’ High School board chair Jonathan Brooks said the board had not discussed the proposed changes at this stage.

‘‘The board will be discussing this at a future date, and as part of that discussion will decide if the board wishes to make a submission to the [ministry] prior to the close of submissions.’’

Burnside High School principal Phil Holstein said his school would discuss the proposals at the next board meeting in late May.

Cashmere High School board chair Geordie Hooft said the school did not intend to make a submission about the proposals as it was unlikely it would be affected by the changes.

‘‘Our standing in the community and the number of people wanting to come to the school means that we have rarely gone past priority two in recent years,’’ he said.

Submissions close on June 16 and can be emailed to legislation. consultation@education.govt.nz.