System failing our students

EDUCATION experts have slammed the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank as a flawed and outdated measurement that should be scrapped in favour of a broader system.

Australian Learning Lecture today releases a position paper on Australia’s current Year 12 ranking system.

The paper — which had contributions from about 50 vice-chancellors, senior principals and key education stakeholders — claims the system has corrupted and narrowed senior secondary education, with a “good ATAR” becoming the overwhelmingly dominant goal.

Instead a system similar to the one used in Hong Kong has been proposed, which would see Year 12s graduate with a “learning profile” which could contain grades, awards, extra-curricular activities and skills such as teamwork and critical thinking.

Treating Year 10 as its own specific stage of education to better navigate positive career outcomes and thrive into adulthood was also put forward.

Australian Learning Lecture founder Ellen Koshland said there had been a broad range of experts offering their input, with the majority agreeing the current system was outdated and disconnected with employment trends.

“There’s a new understanding of what success is, and there are different kinds of skills needed to succeed,” she said. “The elephant in the room is ATAR, which is holding people back with an outdated form of measurement.

“Australian schools and systems have been really trying to move forward, and that works up until we get to the senior years. But then it all stops, because we go back to memorising.”

Ms Koshland said one of the major flaws with ATAR was it didn’t recognise skills crucial to succeed in the modern workforce such as teamwork, communication, collaboration and leadership.

“There’s something called the jagged profile, where you can be exceptional in an area and good enough in other areas. But ATAR asks you to be good at everything,” she said.

“ATAR only works for about 30 per cent of students, but the problem is it’s the dominant narrative which drives ranking in schools, it drives parent choice.”

AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS AND SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD, AND THAT WORKS UP UNTIL WE GET TO THE SENIOR YEARS. BUT THEN IT ALL STOPS, BECAUSE WE GO BACK TO MEMORISING.” AUSTRALIAN LEARNING LECTURE FOUNDER ELLEN KOSHLAND