New system could improve school choice

In Australia, local public schools enrol about 60 per cent of students, and an even greater percentage of disadvantaged students, including those with a disability and Indigenous students.

Limiting public school enrolment … can entrench disadvantage

“While it’s possible for students to enrol in ‘out-of-area’ public schools, enrolment caps and ad hoc rules mean in reality it’s difficult to get a place at in-demand schools in higher socio-economic areas,” says Professor of Economics Isa Hafalir.

“When we effectively limit public school enrolment to where people can afford to live this can entrench disadvantage, making it more difficult to break out of the cycle of poverty,” he says.

A paper by Professor Hafalir, with Associate Professor Fuhito Kojima from Stanford University and Associate Professor M. Bumin Yenmez from Boston College, models the new school transfer system.

“The system identifies places available and allocates according to transparent admission rules that reflect specific policy goals, such as increasing diversity,” Professor Hafalir says.

In the proposed system, parents and children interested in attending a school other than their catchment school can apply to a central register and list their preferred schools. The system identifies places available and allocates according to the admission rules.

Each student is matched with one of their preferred schools or with their catchment school – so no student is worse off by participating.

“The system also ensures a balanced, or near balanced, exchange so that each school receives a similar number of students that it sends to others. This means that a school’s funding, which is based on student numbers, doesn’t drop,” says Professor Hafalir.

There are many reasons parents and students might prefer a school other than their local school, including being close to work or grandparents, specialized programs in areas such as sport, or higher academic results.

In the UK, Europe and the US, public school systems already give parents a greater say, with up to four or five local schools in a catchment area, as well as the opportunity to enrol across school districts.

“Rather than forcing parents into the private school system and leaving those unable to afford private schooling with little choice other than the local school, our system gives students greater freedom to choose a school that better suits their needs,” Professor Hafalir says.

Interdistrict School Choice: A Theory of Student Assignment, Isa Hafalir, Fuhito Kojima, M. Bumin Yenmez, doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3307731

UTS Experts: Isa Hafalir