School might have only just gone back a week ago, but enrolments at schools around the country will soon open and parents have no time to rest.
(When did parents ever have time to rest, though?)
For many parents, securing a spot for their child at the best school is one of the most important responsibilities they hold.
And for some of those parents, paying the exorbitant fees for a high-achieving private school is simply out of the question and living in the zone for a high-performing public school is outside of their capacity.
Some of those parents will go to extraordinary lengths to get their child into their school of choice; including camping outside the school for over 48 hours.
This is exactly what some parents did in preparation for the opening of enrolments at Brisbane’s Ascot State School.
Nicholas Given and Melissa Goscomb set up a tent to secure their child a spot at Ascot State School. Image: News Corp Australia
Enrolments at the school opened yesterday morning, and The Courier-Mail reports there were eight families lined up on Sunday night to get the best chance for a spot.
Yes, that’s right, for a chance.
These dedicated parents are lining up for a spot on the waiting list and their child won’t be guaranteed a spot.
“It’s not even guaranteed that we will get a spot.” Image: News Corp Australia
“So at 8am [on Monday], they will open the gates and we will get an enrolment form with a number on it and hope for the best,” local mum Nicole Scarinci, who was first in line, told The Courier-Mail.
We just spoke to the principal and she seems to think that it’s not even guaranteed that we will get a spot so it’s still up in the air.”
Elissa Morley, a mum who lives outside Ascot’s catchment zone and who had been lined up for 24 hours, said, “We’re a bit exhausted but hopeful that it will pay off.”
Elissa Morley hands in the enrolment paperwork, hopeful her daughter will get a coveted spot at the school. Image: News Corp Australia.
School principal, Gayle Coleman writes on the school’s website that the school’s vision is for happy students to learn together, to grow and succeed.
“Our school achieves outstanding results in a broad range of learning opportunities and experiences. We are committed to providing a wide range of programs, in the academic, cultural, musical and sporting areas. Our priority always remain on the child, through a continued focus on student success and wellbeing.”
The school is officially an “independent public school”, meaning it has greater autonomy and decision making ability than other local government schools.
Students have the opportunity to take on a range of extra curricular activities including music, Taekwondo, chess club and French lessons.