Minister for Education and Training

),,,tr p and Ms J Chai liUl RML03/1496

3 ·rumell Bav Road RML03/1500
LU.LI PILLJ. NSW 2209

Dear f\,fr and Ms C'hallirn

( refer to your lener received by me on 6 January 2(,03, regarding Yejr 7 enlry to u :>clecti vc
.........._,, high school for your children. Danny &nd Kalle I also refer to your leuer to the Prem,er,
which was referred 10 me for aucndon.

I have noted your further comments in n:hitiun lo lhis m,mcr and I acknowledge your
concerns over perceived discrepancies rn 1he information you have oblained under freedom of
information processes. Given the nature of the issues you have raised, I referred a COJ>Y of
your most recen1 correspondence to the Depar1rnen1 of Educ,1tion and Training for
consideration and advice.

171e Department has advised me that academic merit for enti;' into selective hjgh schools is
determined mainly by the combination of 1he results of the Selective High SchoClls Test in
English language. mathema,ics and gcner.tl ability, cogeLher wilh the primary school
assessmen1s of sllldcnt performance in English and mathematics. Additional infom1mion
provided by the parents is <.:oni>idcrcd at the discretion or the selc.."<.:Lion committees.

I understand thfJI the selection commi11ee or S1 Gl·orgc Girls High School decided to
inCOf'JX)rate your daughter·s IQ information and ::.dJusted her score to reflect the results of this
addition al infonnation. However, the 1)anel member who made the . calculation made .in elTOr
:md osc.�d the lQ sco!'e in combim1tion wuh the whole profile S(.;OTC {out of 300) ms1c:1d of
using the ge"netal ability tcsl component (ou1 of JOO).

1 am infomled that, m the process or nonnal quality control, 1he relieving Lc�1der of th.c
Selcc�ive Schools l;nic discovered tJ1e et'r'Qr and! brought 11 to the anenuon of the selec1ion
cominiuee. The caJculation was immediately correcled and the COtTI;;X.:l calculation qualified
Katie for an offer to St George Girls High School. In the case of Sydney Girls High School.
the sc:kx:tion commmee decicfod 111)1 to incorporate Kalie's IQ S<.:orc so no recalculation was
nec.essary. With regard to the calculalion of Dar.iny's score, the Depanment has advised me
1hat this was performed COTT¢1.;l}y using both 1he IQ score and lhc general ability score.

As 1 understand it, the information which the Depnrtmcnt provided you included a r,rimoul of
the e.lectronic records held by the Selec.iivc Schools L;nit 011 yoor daughlcr. I also understand
that the htst section of this printout is devoted to summmisrng relevant contact$ and
procedures ttssociated \Vith your appli"1lion and that the comrn,,mts in lhis section arc