Yan Zhai defends selective schooling and believes there should be more selective schools.

Selective school students are dispirited. We are tired of being told that we are undeserving of our achievements, the hot-housed products of coaching. We are tired of hearing the common arguments against selective schooling – that it widens the wealth gap, that it favours a small elite group of students and that it ultimately does not raise the standard of education.

Ultimately, whilst these arguments are valid, it paints an overly simplistic picture of the selective school experience.

My selective school is a unique environment which fosters my personal development in myriad ways. It is an experience that cannot be replicated elsewhere. The Minister for Education, Rob Stokes, is right: teachers and principals are equipped to handle a range of abilities at all schools. The Catholic Education director, Greg Whitby, is also right: “We need to build a robust learning community and invest in building that capacity in everyone”. But the true value of selective schooling lies not in the educators, but in the other students – the other bright, passionate and proactive individuals that surround you. That is why students are willing to sacrifice a bit of time here and there to attend these schools.