By Jessica Anstice
Students are travelling up to five hours per day to attend Nossal High School, with some travelling more than 110 kilometres just to get to class.
The Berwick selective-entry school principal Roger Page says he is still a “bit surprised” about how far some students are prepared to travel.
About half a dozen, out of 200 Year 9 students, travel significant distances with three or four committing to “extreme” distances.
“In the early days I was concerned that these were the students who might drop-out because of how far they are travelling but it turns out they are highly committed,” Mr Page said.
“These students are high performing – they don’t go home and sit on the couch to watch TV. Some make reasonably significant choices about outside of school activities.
“Our students and their parents are highly motivated and highly aspirational and prepared to take on the challenge. Some families will move to the area because they are very keen to have their children enrolled here and some students from the countryside will stay in Berwick during the week.”
Students travel all the way from Traralgon, a 117 kilometre trip, as well as Warragul, Jindivick, Craigieburn, Mernda and Mornington Peninsula.
Nossal High School is an academically selective coeducational government high school, and one of only four in the state.
Monash University’s co-ordinator of gifted education Dr Leonie Kronborg believes the students travelling far distances are “extremely motivated”.
“Those students obviously think it is worth it,” Dr Kronborg said.
“Students don’t make the sacrifices and parents don’t expect them to make sacrifices unless they think it’s going to be beneficial.
“It’s not a pressure – it’s an enjoyment for the students to be in classes where they’re being challenged.”
Receiving over 2000 applications and offering only 200 places each year at Nossal High School, Mr Page says the enrolment demand is high.
“Over the last 10 years, the 200 students enrolled annually come out of up to 97 different schools and those schools change each year,” he added.
“About half of our students come from government schools and the other half comes from non-government schools scattered across metropolitan areas and Gippsland but it varies every year.”
