Hunters Hill High's enrolments have dropped from 786 in 1991 to 424 while Maroubra High's have plummeted from 611 to 234. The anticipated further drop in numbers will give the government's position added credibility. As one senior student remarked at a meeting of 500 people protesting the closure of Hunters Hill High earlier this week, her class would be forced to complete their high school education surrounded by an empty school. Not even the slightest attempt has been made to call to account those responsible for the drift away from the public system. Nor has there been any mention of the 54 private schools in NSW with fewer than 100 students, the nine private schools in the inner-city area alone with less than 400 students and the one with only 62 that are all receiving hefty government subsidies with no threat of closure.
Nothing is said about declining resources or any of the other problems facing public schools.
The government is well aware that, as a result of the closures, many students will have to travel large distances, creating another incentive for parents to opt for a local private school. Moreover, as public schools become increasingly geared to teaching the skills and programs required by employers, parents wanting their children to have an all round general education will be forced to turn to the private schools. Indeed, according to recent reports, Catholic schools, the poorest sector of the private school system, are currently in the process of converting their specialist schools into comprehensive co-educational facilities. Carr's plan will also accelerate competition between schools. Under the latest proposal, certain schools will benefit if others are sold, putting pressure on some school communities to support the closures.