Overview

• Riot police were deployed to Canterbury Park Racecourse after overcrowding created unsafe conditions for students and parents during selective school exams.
• Approximately 1,300 students leaving the morning session clashed with another 1,300 arriving for the afternoon session, leading to dangerous crowding and logistical failures.
• The NSW Department of Education cancelled exams at Canterbury, Randwick, and Homebush for the weekend due to ongoing safety concerns and announced plans for make-up tests.
• Education officials, including Minister Prue Car and Secretary Murat Dizdar, publicly apologized for the disruption and launched an urgent review of the testing process.
• Parents criticized poor communication, inadequate crowd control, and the decision to move exams from local schools to large venues, calling for a return to the previous system.