Key performer ... Dawei Yuan, 8, practises piano as his mother and father, Jean and Tim (with eight-month-old Sydney), listen in.

Key performer ... Dawei Yuan, 8, practises piano as his mother and father, Jean and Tim (with eight-month-old Sydney), listen in. Photo: Wolter Peeters

BEFORE Dawei Yuan began school, his parents Tim and Jean were adamant about one thing: no private coaching or tutoring.

Instead, they wanted to give their son the opportunity to play and enjoy his childhood.

''Kids have five to six hours in school already,'' said Mr Yuan, a 38-year-old Chinese migrant, who owns his printing business. ''I believe a child should learn to use all parts of their brain, not just study. They learn to mix with other kids through play.

''What is the use of being the smartest in the room if you cannot deal with work colleagues or friends?''

The Yuan family eschewed joining the rush by many migrant families to private coaching colleges.

This phenomenon has seen the percentage of students from migrant families entering the state's selective system rising dramatically from 29 per cent in 1995 to as high as 62 per cent in 2008. The component is sharply skewed towards children from Asian-origin families.

Many of the successful students are graduates of the burgeoning network of private coaching colleges .

The Yuans acknowledge their parenting beliefs run counter to the views of many migrant families. But they believed their educational background, genes and work ethic would suffice.

Mr Yuan is studying for a masters degree in computing from the University of NSW, and Mrs Yuan has completed her masters in international business and law from the University of Sydney. Their parents were highly educated too. Now, their eight-year-old son has topped English and maths in year 3 at Mona Vale Public School, according to his parents.

Mrs Yuan, 37, said the family's arrival in Australia eight years ago under the skilled migration program helped with their choice.

''We came to Australia young and energetic with a good grasp of English,'' she said.

''We had more time to help our children at home. Some less educated Asian families who are not as confident educationally with the language may opt for coaching school.''

The family decision, however, has some drawbacks familiar to many parents.

''Dawei does piano, learns to swim, plays tennis and soccer, and there [are] art clubs too, so there is a bit of ferrying around,'' Mr Yuan said.