CHRISTINE CAWSEY stumbled across an unexpected result of the global financial crisis at her year 11 assembly yesterday - an extra 10 pupils were forced to return to school after promised jobs had disappeared.
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The economic downturn was affecting public and private school enrolments across NSW, as principals began assessing the numbers of students arriving for their first week back.
Ms Cawsey, who is principal of Rooty Hill High, said that in the past three months up to 20 families had inquired about moving their children out of low fee-paying private institutions into her school.
She said the surprise for the start of the school year, however, was the number of year 11 enrolments - a group bolstered by 10 classmates whose apprenticeship offers had been withdrawn.
She said the disappearance of full-time work for teenagers could have a greater impact on NSW high schools than a shift away from the private sector.
The executive director of the Association of Independent Schools of NSW, Dr Geoff Newcombe, said high fee schools were implementing various strategies to assist families in genuine financial need to prevent departures.
"Many have extended payment plans, discounts and scholarship options for families," he said.
"However, parents who have already made a clear choice for an independent education may decide to move their child to a lower-fee independent school rather than a government school."
Mr Newcombe's office said student numbers at high-fee schools were expected to remain stable because of their ability draw on large waiting lists. The fear was that a worsening economy could deplete the numbers enrolled at lower-fee schools.
The headmaster at St Joseph's College at Hunters Hill, Ross Tarlinton, equated the impact on schools to the droughts of the past. He said the school - which had been popular among farming families but now enrolled 60 per cent of its students from metropolitan centres - was historically equipped to help its struggling families with an identified need.
He said existing plans had been revisited to ensure the school was adequately covered for the present crisis.
"We haven't lost any students yet," he said.
"But I have had a number of families speak to me to indicate that the pressure is really on them.
"What is interesting is that it is akin to drought for us. With our farm families we have learnt how to deal with this. But we are seeing the financial drought hit the cities, with those in the financial and related industries worst off."
