Smart students are being given greater opportunities to achieve academically with more than 600 new selective school places being made available in NSW public high schools in 2010.

Premier Nathan Rees said 630 selective places would be located in 14 comprehensive high schools including the state’s first virtual selective class to support students in remote areas of the Western region.

“I’m committed to providing more opportunities for all students, whether they live in the city or the bush,” Mr Rees said.

“I am especially excited about the new virtual selective class in Western NSW, which will give 30 gifted and talented students in remote and rural areas the ability to be involved in a selective class, while remaining at their local school.”

Education minister Verity Firth said the places were decided after extensive discussion with principals, staff, parents and school communities about the value of the additional places.

“These students will benefit from access to a higher range of subject options and access to gifted and talented programs previously not available to those living in remote areas,” Ms Firth said.

“Estimates show that about 10 per cent of the public school population is involved in a gifted and talented program with 46 selective high schools now operating throughout NSW.”

Ms Firth said NSW public schools offered a wide range of gifted and talented programs for students including opportunity classes in primary schools, fully and partially selective high schools, and gifted and talented (GAT) programs in primary and comprehensive high schools.

The new selective places brought the total number of selective places in the state’s public schools to 4,152.

The school education director for Orange, Pam Ryan, said the virtual selective school model called “xsel” was almost finalised with information being provided to parents of Year 5 students in the Western region.

Ms Ryan said the model followed on from successful collaborations such as e2, which delivered lessons to students from five Western regional high schools using videoconferencing and other interactive technologies.

Ms Ryan said xsel would give “selection provisions” in maths, science and English.

“The key thing we’re pro-moting is children staying in their home schools while at the same time accessing a selective curriculum in English, maths and science and work with a like-minded cohort,” she said.

Ms Ryan said measures to support GAT primary students living in remote areas were already being addressed with virtual opportunity classes operating throughout the region.

In the New England region, an online GAT program was launched last term at Drummond Memorial Public School which linked GAT students from more than 10 local public schools with high school teachers specialising in subject areas including English, maths and science.

New selective high schools

Armidale High, Blacktown Boys High, Blacktown Girls High, Bonnyrigg High, Duval High, Elizabeth Macarthur High, Gorokan High, Grafton High, Karabar High, Kooringal High, Moorebank High, Parramatta High, Peel High, Prairiewood High, plus a virtual selective class provision in Western region.