Focus on Year 12 studies declared national priority
THE Federal Government says streamlining education for Year 12 students is its next priority as state authorities scramble to re-jig exam schedules disrupted by the coronavirus.
School-leavers and their paths into higher education were earmarked this week as a major focus after the Government found a way to keep childcare centres open.
“There are a lot of parents out there at the moment, especially those that have Year 12 students, who are contemplating what their VCE is going to look like this year and what that will mean for pathways into work, in vocational education, into university next year,” Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said.
“Obviously, there are numerous issues that families are facing, but this is one I am getting a lot of feedback which is of concern and we will be addressing this in the coming weeks.” Education authorities in NSW have made changes to final exams and given assurances the HSC will go ahead.
The chairman of the NSW Education Standards Authority reiterated his priority was to ensure no students were disadvantaged.
“I can say with certainty that students will have the opportunity to receive their HSC credential this year, so students should continue to learn, complete their assessments and taking care of themselves,” Professor Peter Shergold said in a statement.
Mandatory group performances for drama and music extension students have been scrapped and VET students will no longer be required to undertake work placements.
Any other performance exams that breach social distancing requirements will be modified, and principals will be able to independently determine the number, type and weighting of assessment tasks given to year 11 students. Advice on major projects for a range of arts, technology and humanities subjects will be given next week.
Queensland has already postponed exams for Year 11 and 12 students that were set to take place this week and has also scrapped one of the four internal assessments in each syllabus to provide relief to those students working towards their QCE.