The NSW Department of Education is conducting a review of selective schools. The minister favours opening them up to local enrolments to make them more inclusive. The equity benefits of this have been highlighted but my experience suggests if it also reduces the "pressure cooker" effect of selective schools and promotes a more realistic view of ATAR results, it may be beneficial for the mental health of students.

I went to Sydney Boys High School. Only the top performers of the Selective High School Placement Test at the end of primary school have that opportunity. My memories of primary school involved a lot of private tutoring and extra-curricular homework, after school and on Saturdays. It was the norm, at least among my peer group.

However, I struggled with after-school tutoring, which taught advanced subjects often one to two years ahead of my school grade. I was top of my class in school, almost effortlessly so. But the focus from my parents and my peer group was not on my achievements at school, but where I fell short during tutoring.

I was not confident when I completed the Selective School Placement Test. When I received my results, my raw scores weren't great. But my weighted school grades and my test scores provided me with the leverage I needed to gain entry into Sydney Boys High. It felt like a miracle.