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Nine-year-old Veera Kotecha knew the odds were steep when she sat down for the opportunity class test.
She was one 13,263 fighting for 1840 places in a coveted class. When her test centre descended into chaos, with riot police called and children in tears, those odds felt even longer.
Tapan Kotecha looks at the results of the opportunity class tests with daughter Veera, 9.Credit: James Brickwood
She persevered, knowing how important this test was to her parents. But on Friday, the reality of the highly competitive selective and opportunity class test became apparent.
She didn’t get in. Knowing the odds didn’t make the news any easier.
“I am disappointed,” she said, her voice small. “I will keep working hard.”
This disappointment was felt by thousands of young children when the results of the highly competitive opportunity class test were released.
Riot police were called to the selective schools test at Canterbury Park Racecourse in May.
For all the hours of study, money spent in tutoring colleges, and playtime sacrificed, more students will miss out than succeed.
The Darcy Road Public School student is proud of herself for trying. But she also thinks the system needs to change.
“It’s too much pressure, and we always have to work hard,” she said.
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The high-stakes test was held online and at mega-centres for the first time, and was marred by controversy. This decision quickly led to chaos after technical glitches and “significant failures” put children at risk and forced the riot squad to be deployed to control frantic crowds, a formal inquiry found.
Veera was affected by the chaos at the Canterbury centre but chose not to do the test again, after she was “she was tired and stressed out”, according to her father Tapan Kotecha.
He is proud of his daughter, reminding her about 13 per cent of kids get in. But he also worries about her future.
“We knew it would be difficult,” he said. It’s why his daughter studies from “45 minutes to an hour” each day and spends three hours each Saturday and Sunday at tutoring classes.
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Kotecha has spent $6300 this year on tutoring colleges that specialise in OC coaching, and has “already started preparing for the selective test which is two years down the track”, paying over $12,400.
He feels he doesn’t have a choice other than to enrol his daughter in tutoring schools. “You have to do classes, otherwise you don’t get [into] a good school. That’s the trend,” he said.
“There are not many seats and there’s too much competition.”
Veera may have missed out on OC, but the family hasn’t given up. “We knew OC was a starting point, and she will continue to study. ”
Their ultimate goal, like most parents whose children apply for OC, is to make it into a selective high school.
“For two years between year 5 and 6, parents only think one thing; what if selective doesn’t happen? Where will my child go?” he said.
“The only other option is private schools. Or you move to faraway places in a different catchment, and then you pay higher rent and higher house prices. It’s so much pressure.”
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