Snort, it's obvious to everyone that this is not an easy fix as there are many variables.
Firstly to answer a previous question, Newington has at least 6 13s teams, we played them last week.
Barker, and any school with just 2 or 3 in the 13s is a real concern, as often schools start with 5-6+ and then later in life the teams reduce a bit.
Maybe there should be a minimum number of teams, so that matching schools can co-ordinate their respective teams with some ease, but I am not sure what the right number is, eg Waverley currently has 23 teams, typically all of whom are quite competitive. So if the threshold of teams numbers was higher than 23, then Waves would be in a lower grade. Barker would probably be in the same boat.
I suspect the GPS schools, and maybe Knox would be in a higher grade, and yet Waves teams often defeat most grades in these schools, the exception would be joeys, but these games are often very close.
Another, but probably more difficult method, may be to have a promotion/relegation or tiered comp across each age group so that teams of similar ability are in the same grade. The complexities of which do appear to be much higher for each school though, and schools probably wouldn't entertain the thought, unless they organized a governing school body whose responsibility it was to run this program. (Think I'm dreaming here!)
Very quickly re scholarships, all/most schools have done it at some time, but an agreed and more structured common approach between the schools could be the year 10 cut off, unless there is a special circumstance like coming from Melbourne etc. It is NOT a good look, it is NOT fair on long term attendees, and it KILLS schoolboy rugby culture within a school and association. Finally, and this is what does my head in, if a school buys a premiership - then everyone says "well you should have won it" and if you import and don't win, the school looks stupid!
End Result = You can't win either way!!!!
Why don't they get it!