taking schools to the next level the national education framework for schools

8/9/2019 Taking Schools to the Next Level the National Education Framework for Schools

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t akin g sch oo ls to th e next levelthe nat ional educat ion framew ork for schools


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i i i

M e ssa g e f r o m t h e

H o n D r B r en d a n N e lso n M P

There are more than three and a quarter million students in Australiasnearly ten thousand schools. There is no greater national need than toensure that Australian schooling prepares these young people to l ive,work and thrive in the global environment of the 21st century.

Quali ty schooling is one of the Australian Governments highest policypriori ties. There are many schooling achievements of which to be proud.Australia has worked hard to ensure that every child is able to read, writeand spell, can use maths, and can communicate at an appropriate level.In these areas, Australia is performing at world- class levels.

In November 2003, I outli ned the Australi an Government s 10-point national agenda for schooling. The agendawas informed by concerns expressed to me by parents, by my recent observations of international practices, and byseeing first-hand the innovation, creativity and excellence that is happening in many Australian schools today.

The 10-point national agenda for schooling focuses on the need to strengthen all schools, by:

supporting the professional standing of teachers.

attracting the best people to become teachers.

ensuring national consistency in schooling.

giving schools autonomy to meet community needs.

ensuring all schools are performing well.

providing meaningful information to parents.

focusing on the values that young people need.

creating safe school environments.

accelerating Indigenous education outcomes.

ensuring seamless transit ions from school to work or further education.

I believe strongly that this 10-point national agenda for schooling is a platform for taking schools to the next level

and making Australian schooling even better. I am also seeking the views of Australians to help develop and bui ldon this 10-point agenda.

a m essage f rom the m in is te r


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ivtak ing schoo ls to the next level the national education framew ork for schools

I am inviting all Australians interested in the performance of schools to offer their views and contribute new

ideas on a range of issues. More information can be found at www.dest.gov.au/nef/schoolsI hope you will take this opportunity to share your thoughts, views and opinions on what really matters inschools in Australia.

The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MPAustralian Government Minister for Education, Science and TrainingFebruary 2004


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vhave you r say at > w w w .des t .gov.au /ne f /schoo ls

C o n t e n t s

Message from the Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP....................................................................................................iii

Have your say...................................................................................................................................................... vii

10 point Agenda for Schooling

1. Supporting the professional standing of teachers......................................................................................... 1

2. Attracting the best people to become teachers.............................................................................................. 3

3. Ensuring national consistency in schooling.................................................................................................... 5

I. Ages, stages, curr iculum and standards.................................................................................................. 5

II. End of school credentials......................................................................................................................... 8

III. End of school assessment ...................................................................................................................... 124. Giving schools autonomy to meet community needs................................................................................... 16

5. Ensuring all schools are performing well .................................................................................................... 18

6. Providing meaningful information to parents ............................................................................................ 20

7. Focusing on the values that young people need ......................................................................................... 22

8. Creating safe school environments.............................................................................................................. 24

9. Accelerating Indigenous education outcomes.............................................................................................. 26

10. Ensuring seamless transit ions from school to work or further education.................................................... 28

I. Career choices....................................................................................................................................... 28II. Transition support ................................................................................................................................. 31

Other important issues

11. Basic ski ll s l iteracy and numeracy............................................................................................................ 34

12. Life ski ll s...................................................................................................................................................... 36

13. Using new technologies .............................................................................................................................. 38

14. Nutri tion and physical activity ..................................................................................................................... 40

15. Educating boys ............................................................................................................................................ 4216. More options VET in schools..................................................................................................................... 45


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H a v e y o u r sa y

We would be pleased to receive your responses on any of the issues raised in Taking schools to the next level

the national education f ramework for schools. It would be helpful to hear from you byFriday, 30 April 2004.

Responding online

To respond online, please go to www.dest.gov.au/nef/schools

Responding by facsimile/ mail

To respond by fax or mail, please fill out all or part of the response form Have your sayand send by fax

to 02 6123 5005, or write to:

Taking schools to the next levelDepartment of Education, Science and TrainingLocation 767GPO Box 9880Canberra ACT 2601

Need more copies?

Go to www.dest.gov.au/nef/schools, e-mail to schoolsframework@ dest.gov.au or telephone1300 559 655 at the cost of a local call (cost may be higher from mobile phones).


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1have you r say at > w w w .des t .gov.au /ne f /schoo ls

1 . Su p p o r t in g t h e p r o f e ss io n a ls t a n d in g o f t e a c h er s

Quali ty teaching is the single most important factor in improving educational outcomes. The best teachersmake a signi ficant and lasting impression on young people. Most adul ts can remember inspirational teachersand the long-lasting influence they have had on their lives.

What is the situation now?

Judged by the good performance of Australian students in international tests in literacy,mathematics and science, Australia is fortunate in having a high quality teaching force.Australia performs well in these tests compared with other countries.

However, there are some challenges to overcome to make sure that the best peopleare attracted to teaching and that the initial preparation and continuing professionaldevelopment of teachers is of the highest quality. Teachers also need to have anunderstanding and respect for the background and culture of all their students, includingIndigenous students.

These chall enges and possible solut ions were identif ied recently i n a national inquiryinto teaching. The inquiry found that i n a number of schools, teachers are teaching outof field, and are required to teach subjects for which they have inadequate expertise.Teaching, l ike other professions such as accountancy, law, architecture, medicine andhealth services, requires consistently high levels of knowledge and ski ll s. The publ ic needs

the assurance that these professional standards are met, through high quali ty teachertraining courses, teacher registration and continuing professional development.

A new National Institute for Quali ty Teaching and School Leadership to be set up in 2004,will enhance the quality and status of school teachers and school leaders. It recognises thevital role of school principals in creating and managing the best school environment.

What can make a di fference?

For parents to be confident that their children are receiving quality teaching, wherever they live and in all

subject areas, work needs to be done to ensure that at all stages of their careers, from the day they take theirfirst class, teachers meet agreed professional standards. Maintaining ski ll s through professional learning isespecially important as the school environment changes and as innovations in technology impact on teachingpractices and student learning.

Finding ways of recognising the accompli shments of Australi as outstanding teachers will strengthen the statusand qual ity of the teaching profession. This is a chance for teachers to see how much they are valued by thecommunity.

Many high calibre teachers leave teaching in the f irst f ive years of their teaching careers. Rewarding teachersfor excellence and innovation is an important way to retain people in the profession.

Th ees tab l ishm ent

o f t he Na t iona lI ns t i t u te

for Qu al it y

Teachingand S c hoo lLeadership

recognisesth e v i ta l ro le

of teachers

and p r inc ipa lsi n im p rov ing

the qu a li t y o feduca t ion i n

Aus t ra l ia .


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2tak ing schoo ls to the next level the national education framew ork for schools

At the moment, processes for dif ferentiating between good and bad teachers are not well developed inAustralian schools and the most mediocre teacher is paid the same as someone who has a positive and life-changing impact on students.

To avoid losing the best teachers to higher paid occupations, employing authori ties may have to f ind ways ofrecognising and rewarding high performance and advanced quali fications. Other countries have found waysto provide financial rewards for the best teachers, for instance by link ing performance bonuses for teachers tostudent improvement.

Supporting quality teaching

A highly ski lled and professional teaching force makes a significant difference to student outcomes. High qual ity teaching

across a students school life engenders a lifelong love of learning.

Professional learning for teachers is supported by the Australian Governments Quali ty Teacher Programme. Between

2000, when it was introduced, and May 2003 over 168,000 teachers participated in this exciting and stimulating program.

The program provides innovative activiti es for practising teachers in pr ior ity areas. One participat ing teacher commented

that:

I doubt that I have ever been to professional development of any kind from which I have gained so many ideas, so many

challenges and such sound advice.

Increase in student confidence and motivation has enabled me to raise the bar in terms of expectations and outcomes. It has

been a ripple effect, with positive outcomes in other areas of school as well as formal classes. (Primary school teacher)

More information can be obtained at: http://qualityteaching.dest.gov.au

W h a t w o u ld g i ve y o u c o n f i d e n c e in t h e q u a li t y o f t h e

t e a c h i n g i n y o u r s c h o o l?

H o w c a n t h e b e s t t e a c h e rs b e r ec o g n is ed a n d r ew a r d ed ?


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2 . A t t r ac t in g t h e b e st p eo p le t ob e c o m e t e ac h e rs

Most young people spend twelve to thirteen years in school gaining the knowledge and values they need forthe rest of their li ves. The talented, knowledgeable, enthusiastic and dedicated teachers who nurture theseyoung people are the most valuable resource in schools.

To ensure that Australias young people continue to be taught by well motivated and highl y capable people,everything must be done to make teaching a career that the country s best and brightest young people willchoose.


Much is being done to attract people to teaching, through making teacher educationprograms at university a more attractive option by offering incentives such as scholarships andassurances of employment.

While overall there are enough teachers for Australian schools, there are some areas ofteaching where short fal ls are emerging. These include a number of secondary school subjectareas such as maths, physics, chemistry, biology and foreign languages.

Another area of concern is the small proportion of primary teachers who are male. This stands now at21 % and is continuing to decrease. If the current trend were to continue, Australia could follow the patternoverseas. In many countries the proporti on of male pr imary teachers has dropped even fur ther than Australia.

In parts of the United States of America, the proportion has dropped to 6% . In an environment where boys areunderachieving, both relative to girls and relative to their own performance in the past, and where many boyshave no positive male role models in their lives, having more male teachers in primary schools could make adifference.


Attracting the best people into teaching as a career means reaching out not only to people at the start of theirworking l ife but also to people with experience in other occupations and professions. The experience thata former business person, scientist, landscaper or doctor could bring into the classroom can greatly enrich

students learning. More could be done to simplify the process for such people to become teachers.Raising awareness and appreciation of the value of teachers would make the profession moreattractive. Careers advice to senior secondary students, from whose ranks the next generationof teachers will largely be drawn, should reinforce posit ive messages about teaching asfulfilling work which makes a real social contribution.

Special incentives might be needed to target areas of need, so that highly capable people areattracted to secondary teaching in maths, science and foreign languages.

Teaching

needs to be

at t rac t ive toour bes t and

br igh tes ts t uden t s .

Qual i t yteachers are

t h e m o s tva luab le

resource ina school .


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Change to the sex discrimination legislat ion which prevents the active recrui tment of males may be needed toget more men into teacher traini ng and into primary classrooms. Affirmative action in some states occurs toenable the increase in the percentage of women barristers, academics and union representatives.

Positive school environments in which teachers feel valued and respected are essential to effective teaching andlearning and crucial to attracting and retaining the best teachers.

National awards recognise teaching excellence

The Australian Government rewards excellence and innovation in schools and teaching across Australi a with prizes totall ing

$1million through the annual National Awards for Quality Schooling.

Open to al l pre-primary, primary and secondary Australi an schools, the Awards give schools, teachers and school leaders the

opportunity to be recognised and rewarded for significant and sustainable school improvements.

The diverse stories of the 2003 winners range from innovative work in values education being undertaken by a one-

teacher school in a cane farming community west of Mackay to a multicultural inner-city school of 1200 students which has

transformed its organisational culture to become the hub of the community.

Other winning stories include that of a principal who transformed a school through engaging the whole school community

in decision making and leadership; a rural high school teacher who initiated an international exchange for science students

and a senior high school teacher whose reading program produced amazing results in an ethnically diverse student

population.

A notable achievement is that of a school principal at a small school serving the remote Indigenous communities ofKalkaringi and Dagaragu, which is about five hundred kilometres south of Katherine in the Northern Territory. In 2003, for

the first time, three students living and attending school in a remote community competed with other students in the state

for tertiary entrance quali fications.

Details of the 2003 winners can be found at: www.dest.gov.au/schools/naqs/stories.htm

W h a t c o u ld b e d o n e t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e b e s t p e o p l e a r e

a t t r a c t ed t o b e c o m in g t e ac h e r s?

W h a t c a n b e d o n e t o a t t r a c t m o r e m e n t o p r im a ryt e a c h in g ? D o y o u t h i n k at t r a c t in g m o r e m e n is im p o r t a n t ?


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3 . En s u r i n g n a t io n a l c o n s is t e n c y ins c h o o l i n g

I. Ages, stages, curriculum and standards

Increasingly Australian families are moving between states and territories during theirworking lives and need to make important decisions about their childrens schooling. In a12 month period, around 76,000 children moved interstate. This is equivalent to the entireschool age population of Tasmania.

Differences across Australia in school starting ages, the stages of schooling and school subjectsmake it dif ficult for the many famil ies who move interstate each year. They have an impact onhow well chil dren do at school and how they feel about their schooling experience.


Most countries have a common national school starting age, the same number of years ofschooling wherever you live and a common core of school subjects. In Austral ia, for histor icalreasons, we have eight dif ferent education systems with different start ing and completion ages, differentnumbers of years at primary school and different curricula and standards. This does not serve the needs ofyoung Australians today, who live in a far more mobile and interconnected world.

Starting school

Inconsistencies are apparent from the very beginning of schooling. Early chil dhood education is widelyrecognised as the foundation of good schooling, yet too many young children are missing out because of wherethey live.

School star ting ages across Australia can vary by up to a year. General ly, Australian children can start Year 1if they are five years old and will turn six in that year, but the cut off date for turning six can be 1 January,30 April, 30 June, 31 July or 31 December, depending on where they l ive.

This means that the school f ini shing age also varies and that nat ional testing at Years 3, 5 and7 assesses students of different ages.

The different names used for the years before Year 1 in primary school are also confusing,especial ly where the same name means different things in di fferent states. All states but onehave an established full time year before Year 1, but these are variously called kindergarten,preparatory, pre-school, reception, transition or pre-primary.

Stages of school

The number of years at primary and secondary school is not consistent across Australia. Insome states, primary school finishes at Year 6, in others, it finishes at Year 7. This can resultin confusion and anxiety for children and parents, as children move up and down levels whenthey move interstate. This can have an effect on how well students do at school.

Dif ferentschoo l

s tar t ing

ages causecon fus ion

fo rt h o u s a n d s

of fam i lies

w h o m o vein ters ta te

each year.

Di f ferencesin s tages o f

schoo l i ngacross

Aus t ra l i a

af fecth ow w ell

s t uden t s do

a t schoo l .


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Children from Australi an Defence Force famili es (around 25,000 fami lies), are especial ly affected by this lack ofnati onal consistency. They may attend as many as six schools by the time they reach 17 years of age.

Curriculum and standards

Expectations of what students should achieve at certain stages of schooling and the content of school work aredif ferent across Australia. To suggest that subjects like maths, Engli sh or history are different in dif ferent statesseems illogical, yet each state has its own individual expectations about what students need to know and do inthese subjects at key stages of their schooling.

Children who move can find that they have missed a whole chunk of learning or that they have to repeat worktheyve already done. This is parti cular ly evident in subject choices in the final years of schooling, even in keyareas of the curriculum like English.

NSW and Victoria are the only states that have English as a compulsory subject for both Year 11

and 12. In Queensland, WA, ACT and Tasmania, English is not compulsory for Year 11 or 12. For SAand NT English is compulsory for Year 11 but not Year 12.

Some states have a specific program of study that must be completed for an end of school certificate. Studentsmoving interstate may not be able to continue with their chosen subjects or have to take up new subjects late inthe course, putt ing them at an educational disadvantage.

Students with disabilit ies can also have dif ficulty accessing the curr iculum when they move interstate. Work isunderway to establish a nationally consistent definition of disability. Without this, students with disabilities mayhave to have their learning needs reassessed after moving interstate and could get a different level of support.


Work has begun on establishing a common school starting age across the nation and onidentifying consistencies in the curriculum in key subject areas. This makes good sense incontemporary Australia, for how children fare at school and for Australian families who areincreasingly mobile.

Consistency in early childhood education and the stages of schooling would mean a betterstart for thousands of young Australians each year. Greater similarity in the age of children ineach school year group will also make national assessment of basic skills more accurate and

lead to a common finishing age.

National consistency in what students are expected to learn at key points of their schooling would assiststudents who move interstate. The content of schooling must be determined by the needs of young Australianswithin a 21st century culture of innovation and lifelong learning.

Cons is tencyacrossA us t ra lia inkey su b jec t

areas o f th ecur r i cu lumw o u ld h a ve

advan tages .


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The experience of Australian famil ies

Bobby completed Year 8 in Queensland at the end of 2002. Dad was posted into New South Wales and his new school

decided that as he had completed Year 8 he should go into Year 9. Unfortunately this meant that Bobby had gone from

the fi rst year of high school in Queensland into the 3rd year of hi gh school i n New South Wales. He couldn t cope with the

standard of work, especiall y in maths and began to truant. Hanging around with a group of truants got him i nto additi onal

trouble, leading to al l sorts of problems for this boy and his family.

Joanne completed Year 11 in Victoria and her family was posted to Queensland. Joanne did Psychology as part of her

Year 11 studies and wished to continue this subject in the new school . Queensland does not have a subject called Psychology

or anything similar. Joanne had to pick up a new subject for Year 12.

Judywas enrolled in a special school in Canberra that catered for children with severe speech impairment. Upon arrival

in Queensland, she was not entitled to be enrolled in a special school or a special unit as her results from Canberra did notmeet Queenslands guidel ines. She was then enrolled in a mainstream class with no addi tional teacher aide assistance and

had difficulties coping.

As a parent who has had four children move between states during their education it is very frustrating for children to be

excelling in one state, to then move to another state to find they are lacking in parts of the syllabus, such as maths. This

aff ects the child s confidence.

Information provided by parents and also from Defence Community Organisation Regional Education

Liaison Officers, Department of Defence, Australian Defence Organisation, 2003.

W h a t b e n e f it s w o u l d n a t io n a l c o n s is t e n c y h a v e f o r f a m il ie sa n d s t u d e n t s?

W h a t a r e t h e m o s t im p o r t a n t s u b je c t s f o r c h ild r e n t o s t u d y

a t s c h o o l?


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II. End of school credentials

Young people leaving school place a high value on their end of school credentials, as recognition of theirachievement at school. General ly these certificates wil l show all the subjects or courses studied in the finalyears of school, scores and results and perhaps other information for further study.

In different parts of Australia, these certi ficates wil l look very different. These differences make it hard tounderstand or recognise an end of school credential from another state. They cause confusion and dif ficultiesfor the increasing number of young people who move around Australia for employment or further educationand training.


End of school certificates are given to students when they complete senior secondary schooling.This is generally at the end of Year 12, although some education systems issue certificatesearlier.

At the end of Year 10 - general ly the end of compulsory education - some students will beissued with a state or school certif icate whil e others wil l not. At the end of Year 12, there areeven more differences in credentials. Every state has its own certif icate. Each of these is basedon a different set of course requirements, both in the number of subjects a student has to pass

and in compulsory content.

Ye a r 1 0 C e r t i f ic a t e s - a c r o s s A u s t r a l ia

State Certificate issued Requirements

NSW YesStudents in Year 10 sit for state-wide tests in English-literacy, Maths,

Science, Australian History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship.

QLD, ACT, NT Yes School issued certificate based on school assessment.

VIC, WA, SA & TAS No Some schools may provide their own certificate.

Across Australia, end of school certificates can be awarded on completion of either 16, 17 or 22 units of study or10 subjects (see tables on fol lowing pages). Elsewhere, study of a single subject will lead to a certificate beingissued. Units and subjects have different values in dif ferent states. In some cases certain patterns of study areprescribed. Vocational education and training studies in secondary school are treated differently in differentstates. English is compulsory in some states and not in others.

Fina l sch oolc redent ia lslook

d i f ferentin d i f ferentpar t s o f

Aus t ra l ia .


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The requirements are seen as so different that the accreditation authorities in each state warn students not tomove in Year 12.

Differences in required contact hours for certain subjects and the various ways performance grades are

expressed add to this confusion. For example, study can be a 2 unit semester course of about 120 hours schooltime in one state, and a 1 semester course of 100 hours with 50-60 hours of formal class time in another.

Performance grades are expressed in a variety of ways. In some cases, the letters A to E are used, or thenumbers 1 to 6; in others, descriptive terms such as Very High Achievementor Exceptional Achievement. Eachschool system has its own approach.

Families, students, employers and education insti tuti ons have to work their way through this complex set ofarrangements for any young person who moves interstate after completing school.

What can make a difference?

Having so many dif ferent arrangements, requirements and names for end of schoolcredentials across Australia is diff icult to justify. In Australi a last year, around 180,000students completing Year 12 received one of eight dif ferent final certi ficates. In England,around twice as many final year students received the common A level certificate andworldwide, around 18,000 received the internationally recognised InternationalBaccalaureate Diploma (IB).

Strong growth in the IB program, a two-year course of study that prepares students aged 16-19 for university, highlights the communitys interest in having an easily understood andwidely recognised end of school credential . The IB is highly regarded for i ts quality and is

readily accepted as an entry quali fication by over 1,700 universities in around 110 countr ies,including all of North America, Western Europe, and Australia.

None of the many Australi an end of school credentials enjoy this level of recognition.

In 2001, more than 13,000 overseas students were enrolled in Australian secondary schools. With all thesocial and economic benefits this brings there is room for substantial growth i n thi s number. A well recognisednational qualif ication could facil itate this growth.

W h a t d o y o u s ee as t h e b e n e f it s o f a c o m m o n A u s t r a lia n

e n d o f s c h o o l c r e d e n t i a l?

Every

Aus t ra l ians ta te hasd i f ferent

requ i rem entsfor the f ina l

year o fschoo l i ng .


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1 0tak ing schoo ls to the next level the national education framew ork for schools


End of Year 12 Certificate Certificate awarded on:

New South Wales Higher School

Certificate (HSC)

and Record of Achievement (which

shows course results)

Undertaking at least 22 units, with 12 units of Preliminary courses (Year 11) & 10

units of Higher School Certificate courses (Year 12).

Both the Preliminary and the HSCcourse patterns must include:

- 6 uni ts of NSW Board Developed Courses;

- 2 uni ts of a NSW Board Developed Course in English;

- three courses of 2 units value (or greater) ;

- four subjects; and

- no more than 6 uni ts of courses in Science.

Victorian Certi ficate of Education (VCE) 1

and Statements of Results (which shows

VCE unit and VCE VET results)

Successful completion of 16 units with at least four sequences (8 units) at Unit 3 and 4

level (Year 12) and must include:

- 3 units of English; with at least 1 unit being at Unit 3/4 level;

- three sequences (6 units) of Unit 3/ 4 studies other than Engli sh;

- 2 units of Group A studies (Arts/Humani ties);

- 2 uni ts of Group B studies (Maths, Science and Technology);

- up to 8 units of VCE VET studies, including two Unit 3/4 sequences (4 uni ts).

Queensland Senior Certificate (QSC) 2

(subject results shown on the certi ficate)

Completion of at least one semester of Queensland Studies Authority or Authority-

registered subjects, or one Recorded subject, or attained one vocational competency.

The student must also attend school until the date specified as the end of Year 12 (i.e.

19 November for 2004 students).

There are no special requirements, with no subjects mandatory eg. English is

not compulsory.

Western Australia Certificate ofEducation (WACE)

and Statements of Results (which shows

subject results)

Completion of at least 10 full year (or equivalent) Curriculum Council of WA subjects,

and obtain an average grade of Cor better in at least 8 of the 10 subjects with at

least 4 at Year 12 level, and:

- up to 4 of the 10 ful l year subjects compri sing of VET subject equivalents; and

- up to 2 out of 8 full year subjects for meeting the Cgrade or better requirement

comprising of VET subject equivalents.

English is not compulsory, but students need to demonstrate English language

competence (for example by passing the Curriculum Council Engli sh Language

Competence Test).


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End of Year 12 Certificate Certificate awarded on the:

South Australian Certificate of

Education (SACE)

AND

Northern Territory Certificate of

Education (NTCE) 3

and Record of Achievement (which

shows subject results)

Reaching at least a level of recorded achievement in 22 units of study, and a level of

successful achievement in at least 16 of the 22 units, including at least three 2-unit

sequences (6 units) at Stage 2 (Year 12).

In Stage 1 (Year 11) the compulsory pattern of study is:

- 2 units of English;

- 1 unit of Maths;

- 1 unit of Austral ian Studies;

- 2 units of Arts/Humanit ies/Social and Cultural studies;

- 2 units of Maths/Science/Technology studies; and

- 4 units of free choice.

In Stage 2 (Year 12) the compulsory pattern of study is:

- 2 units of an Arts/Humanities/Social /Cultural studies;

- 2 uni ts of a Maths/Science/Technology studies;

- 2 units of a free choice sequence; and

- 4 units of free choice.

Students must also satisfy the components of the writing-based literacy assessment

(WBLA) which is based on a folio of work produced by students in the normal courseof their Stage 1 and Stage 2 studies. The folio must contain four pieces of writing in

English, of at least 250 words long, from across the fields of study.

Tasmanian Certificate of

Education (TCE)

and Statement of Results (which shows

subject results)

Leaving school or secondary college and having successfully completed any TCE

syllabuses (a single subject) in Years 10, 11 or 12.


not compulsory.

Australian Capital Territory Year

12 Certificate

(course results are shown on

the certificate)

Completion of at least 17 units in an approved program of course study in Years 11

and 12. Courses in the ACT have differing values, indicating the depth of study given

to the particular subject area minor (minimum 2 units); major (minimum 3.5units); major-minor (minimum 5.5 units) and double major (minimum 7 units).


not compulsory.

1 In 20 02, Victori an Curriculum and Assessment Authori ty t riall ed the Victorian Certif icate of Applied Learning (VCAL), as a more hands-on alternat ive to theVictorian Certi ficate of Education (VCE) for 54 0 students.

2 In 2002, for the first time, the Queensland Studies Authority awarded a certificate of achievement called the Certificate of Post-compulsory School Education(CPCSE) as an alternative to the Queensland Senior Certificate (QSC) to 174 students with special needs.

3 Senior secondary students in the Northern Territory undertake subjects developed and accredited by the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of SouthAustralia (SSABSA).


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III. End of school assessment

Each year, Year 12 students in some parts of Austral ia face a major state-wide exam. Their results will be themain factor in determining possibilities for further study.

In other parts of Australia, students university entry mark is based on continuous assessment over their lasttwo years of school. There are several variations on these two approaches throughout Australia.

While assessment - in the form of exams, assignments and class-room activities - is essential to show progressand achievement and to ensure high standards, i t i s important that assessment methods are fair, valid andreli able. They also need to be comparable national ly. For the well -being of young people, assessmentmethods should not generate l evels of stress which interfere with their performance.


The different processes for assessing and awarding Year 12 credentials in place across Australia includeexternal (state-wide) examination, moderated school-based assessment, school-based assessment (notmoderated) and external scaling tests. These different processes suggest that students do not have the sameopportunity for admission to tertiary education.

No state uses a single method of assessment (see tables on following page). All states except the ACT

and Queensland use external exams for Year 12. School-based assessment in the ACT and Queensland isundertaken by teachers in the school following an approved syll abus. School-based assessment usuallyencompasses a broader range of ski ll s and learning outcomes than external examinations.

Students entering higher education tend to be quite mobile. In 2002, 70,000 Australianuniversity students were studying interstate. For comparison of Year 12 scores across thecountry, all states except Queensland convert students achievements to a common index.

This common index is calculated as an overall percentil e ranking of students. For example,a student given a ranking of 75 has been placed in the top 25 % of the age cohort, basedon their state assessment. This ranking would then be regarded as equal to a student with

a ranking of 75 from elsewhere in Australia.

Different names are given to this university ranking mark. Depending on where you livein Australia, it is variously known as the University Admissions Index (UAI), the Equivalent

National Tertiary Entrance Rank (ENTER) or the Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER). An Overal l Position (OP) andField Position (FP) ranking is provided in Queensland.

Each year, minimum UAI / ENTER / TER scores are set by individual universities for entry, based on demandand the number of places available.

Year 1 2

assessm entis car r ied ou tin d i f ferent

w a ys ind i f ferent

par t s o fAus t ra l ia .


21/55


Students end of school scores are also used for awarding 500 Australian Student Prizes each year. This is anati onal award of $2,000 for academic excellence and achievement in senior secondary school. Due to thedif ferent Year 12 arrangements, these prizes are not allocated on a level playing fi eld across Australia, but arebased on Year 12 population shares and recommendations from the states.


While the standard and validity of these various arrangements are not in question, therationale for such a variety of assessment mechanisms is questionable.

The significant differences in the structure, organisation and assessment processes that lead totertiary entrance across Australia make comparisons difficult, cause confusion and leave thesystem open to suggestions of unfairness. All students should have the same opportuni ty toenter university.

A nationally consistent mechanism would allow comparisons to be made more easily andcreate confidence in the fairness and reliability of Australian end of school assessment.

W h a t i s t h e f a i re st w a y t o a s se ss a c h ie v em e n t a t t h e e n d o fs c h o o l i n g ?

Th ere are

s ign i f i cantdi f ferences in

assessm ent

for ter t iaryent ry ac ross

Aus t ra l ia .


22/55


Ye a r 1 2 e li g i b i l i t y a n d a s s es s m e n t f o rh i g h e r e d u c a t i o n - ac r o s s A u s t r a l ia

Year 12 Certi fi cate Eligibility and Assessment forhigher education is made on the:

NSW Higher School

Certificate (HSC)

Satisfactory completion of at least 10 units (including at least 2 units of English) of HSCcourses

(Year 12) for which there are state-wide examinations. The courses must include at least three

that are 2 units or greater and at least four subjects, but no more than 2 units of Vocational

Education and Training (VET) courses.

The external examination accounts for 50 % of the HSCmark, with the remaining 50 % being

moderated school assessment.

Victorian Certificate of

Education (VCE)

Satisfactory completion of 16 units of the VCE, which must include 2 units of Unit 3/4 level (Year12) English, and three sequences (6 units) of Unit 3/4 subjects other than English, which can

include up to two sequences (4 units) of Unit 3/4 level VCE VET .

Assessment in Unit 3/4 level subjects are by both school assessed Common Assessment

Tasks (CATs) and state-wide examination conditions. For Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology,

Environmental Science, Psychology, Accounting and Performi ng Arts studies the external

examinati on accounts for 66 % of the Study (or VCE) mark, with the remaining 34 % school

assessed (not moderated). While for Technology and Visual Arts the examination accounts for

34 % . For all other subjects the examinat ion accounts for 50 % .

Students also sit a General Achievement Test (GAT), which is used for checking that school

assessments and examinations have been accurately assessed.

Queensland Senior

Certificate (QSC)

Satisfactory completion of 20 units of Queensland Studies Authority subjects, including at least

three subjects for four semesters each (12 uni ts).

Student achievement is determined by external moderation of continuous school-based

assessment undertaken within the school. There are no state wide examinations or

assessment tasks.

For higher education consideration, the student must sit a seven hour (taken over two days)

state-wide common skills QSCTest. Scores on this test provide a measure of achievement across

the curriculum and for scaling different groups of students.

WA Certificate of

Education (WACE)

Completion of at least ten full year (or equivalent) subjects of the WACE, and obtain an average

grade of Cor better in at least eight of those ten subjects with at least four at Year 12 level, and

achieve Curriculum Council of WA English language competence.

Assessment in Year 12 is 50 % external examinati on and 50 % moderated school

assessment. Both the external exam and school assessment is adjusted to deliver a state

standardised distributi on.


23/55


Ye a r 1 2 e li g i b i l i t y a n d a s s e ss m e n t f o rh i g h e r ed u c a t io n - a c r o s s A u s t r a l ia

Year 12 Certif icate Eligibility and Assessment forhigher education is made on the:

South Australian

Certificate of

Education (SACE)

AND

NT Certi ficate of

Education (NTCE) 1

Awarding of SACE (or NTCE) and obtained Recorded Achievement in at least five 2 unit

Stage 2 (Year 12) subjects, included among the five must be four Higher Education Selection

Subjects (HESS).

HESS subjects can be any combination of PES (publicly examined subjects) and PAS (publicly

assessed subjects) that contain common assessment tasks. PES subjects contain a state-wide external

examinati on worth 50 % and moderated school assessment of 50 % . While PAS subjects contain a

common state-wide assessment task that counts for 30 % and moderated school assessment of 70 % .

Tasmanian Certificate of

Education (TCE)

Satisfactory completion of a minimum of four pre-tertiary syllabus subjects, with at least three being

done in Year 12. A maximum of five pre-tertiary syllabus subjects will be used with the best three

subject scores from pre-tertiary subjects satisfactorily completed in Year 12, together with the best two

other subject scores taken from either the same year, or any other single year after Year 10.

Pre-tertiary syllabus subjects have both internal school based assessment and external examination,

which are both moderated. The external examinati on is assessed on 40 to 60 % of the criteria stated

in the syllabus.

ACT Year 12 Certificate

Completion of a minimum of 20 units, with at least 18 units being accredited A units of which 12.5

units must provide preparation for higher education (T units). V units lead to a vocational certificate

and may be classified as T&V units. These units must be arranged into courses that form at least four

majors (minimum of 14 units) and one minor (minimum 2 units) or three majors (minimum 10.5

units) and three minors (minimum 6 uni ts). At least three majors and one minor need to be at the

T level.

Student achievement is based on continuous school-based assessment that is moderated. There are

no publ ic examinati ons or state-wide assessment tasks.

For higher education consideration, the student must sit the Australian Scaling Test (AST), which is

used to adjust scores awarded in T courses to achieve comparability of students achievement across

coll eges and courses.

1 Senior secondary students in the Northern Territory undertake subjects developed and accredited by the Senior Secondary Assessment Board of SouthAustralia (SSABSA).


24/55


4 . G iv in g sc h o o ls a u t o n o m y t o m e etc o m m u n i t y n eed s

Australian schools are community resources. They cater for their local community and have the potential toprovide a broad range of services in addition to education and training opportunities.

Giving principals greater autonomy means that schools can better meet the needs of their local community.Centrally laid down rules and regulations make it difficult for schools to be responsive and flexible.

By allowing school principals and school councils to control their budgets and use resourcesmore flexibly, schools can open up their facilities to provide education opportunities to thebroader community.

The use of facilit ies outside school hours bri ngs schools and their community closer together. It

is easier for young people to attend homework and study clubs, sports and special interests ifthey are held on school premises.

The good work achieved by teachers during the school day can be reinforced through these out of school hoursactivities. Students benefit also by having a chance to pursue their interests and talents in a safe environment.


The shift towards giving principals and their councils greater power over the running of their schools hasoccurred in some states and in many overseas countries.

Autonomy over staffing and resources has been shown to be a key factor in a schools successin delivering quality education for its community.

A challenge modern-day schools face is how best to meet the needs of working families inthe 24 hour, 7 day a week society. The typical Australian school day of 9.00 am to 3.30 pm,for example, dates back over a century, to community life 100 years ago.

Pre-school hours can be even more problematic for parents, with sessions often only offeredfor a short time in the morning or afternoon. Pre-school sessions in chil d care centres bettersuit the needs of many parents, particularly those who are working.

In 2004, it is more than likely that a student will have both parents working or be from a one parent family.While schools cannot cater for every individual circumstance, they will be better placed to meet the needs of thefamilies they serve if the principal can make decisions based on local needs.

Already in some Australian communities, especial ly i n rural and remote areas, schools are playing a centralrole by providing the venue for after- school homework classes, after-school care and a range of health andsocial services. Close coordination of these services can improve the well -being of al l children.

Schoolss hou l d beab le t o m eet

c o m m u n i t y

needs .

Greater

schoo la u t o n o m yc an m ean

im prov ededuca t ionou t c om es .


25/55



Schools that operate with higher local decision-making responsibility and autonomy will have a greatercapacity to respond effectively to their community. Closer l inks with their business community, industry and

sporting organisations can open up new opportunities for families to fully participate in community life.Greater access to school premises for activities such as playgroups, early childhood learning, child care, healthand family support services could help parents with children below school age.

For many students, including young children with disabilities, familiarity with school and early access toresources and material s that support early literacy and numeracy development helps with their schoolintegration and boosts their later educational achievement.

Having the flexibility to consider the needs of families and the local community is especially important in thedevelopment of new school campuses. A number of campuses now have arrangements in place for sharingresources with community insti tutions. They can make broader provision for their students, within the formalschooling structure, as well as before and after school hours.

H o w c o u l d s c h o o ls b e t t e r m e et t h e n ee d s o f t o d a y sf a m i li es ?

W h a t k i n d o f c o m m u n i t y a c t iv i t i es c o u ld b e o f f e re d a t

s c h o o l s ?


26/55


5 . En s u r in g a l l s c h o o ls a r ep e r f o r m in g w e l l

Australian parents and the public need sound information to make informed and important decisions aboutschooling. Parents need to be assured that the school their child attends is performing well. Finding a schoolthat suits the interests, talents and aspirations of a child is a critical family decision yet there is often littlepublicly available information.


Parents would l ike more objective information about the quality of schools and the school environment. Theywant to be able to ask questions about the performance of schools and should expect an informative answer.

In Australia, some school authorities systematically review school performance and measures are put in placefor improvements to be made. Other countri es have a strong culture of reporti ng on school performance,publishing standard sets of informati on on schools and taking action where schools are doing badly.

In England, for example, schools are regularly inspected and these reports are madepublicly avai lable. Special measures are taken to support schools that are identi fied asfailing or likely to fail. These can involve appointing a new principal, reviewing the schoolmanagement, providing special support for teachers and improving the communicationbetween the schools and their community.

In the United States of America schools are required to be accountable for their performance

in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This ensures that parents have reports on schoolperformance. Students can be transferred out of schools that fai l to meet standards.

In both England and the United States of America, there are measures in place to i dentify and support schoolsthat are not performing well. This is seen as an important element of public confidence and accountabili ty.


Improving access to a broader range of information about schools, their programs, achievements and facili tieswould help fami lies make more informed decisions and cri tical choices about their childrens education.

Improved and up-to-date information on how schools are performing needs to go hand inhand with a systematic approach to addressing poor school performance.

Where there is inspired educational leadership from principals, teachers, parents, othermembers of the community and education authorit ies, schools are reaching outstandinglevels of performance.

Parentsa n d t h epu b l i c need

in fo rm at iono n t h epe rf o rm anc e

of schools .

Schoo ls haveto b e he ld

accoun tab lefor th e irper fo rm ance .


27/55


W h a t s h o u ld b e d o n e a b o u t s c h o o ls t h a t a r e n o t p e r f o r m in gw e ll?

W h a t in f o r m a t io n w o u l d h e lp p a r en t s t o k n o w s c h o o ls ar ep e r f o r m i n g w e ll?


28/55


6 . Pr o v id in g m e an in g f u l in f o r m a t io nt o p a r en t s

Most Australian parents want to work with teachers and schools as partners in theirchildrens education. They have to be well informed about schools, so that they can choosethe school that best suits their chil d. They also have to know how their child is getting on,so that they can give the support and encouragement their child needs.


Information about schools

Some states have taken the init iative to give parents a broad range of useful data on their local schools,

including the programs they offer and their achievements as shown by national assessment results anduniversity entrance scores.

This kind of informative reporting is the norm in some other countri es. Compared with Australia, othercountries as a matter of course publish more extensive information on schools, their courses and activities andhow they are performing.

In England al l schools are required to publish a standard set of i nformation each year, which coversexamination and national curriculum test results as well as information on school improvement. In Cali fornia,a School Accountability Report Cardis issued for each school. This includes information on dropout rates,progress towards reducing class sizes, numbers of credentialed teachers, number of days of staff development,

suspension and expulsion rates and data on the last three years of achievement in reading, writ ing andarithmetic.

In parts of Australia, there is resistance to this kind of open reporting.

Information about students

The achievement and progress of students in schools across Australia are reported in many different ways.The two most common forms of formal reporting to parents are through a written report and parent-teachermeetings. Most reports focus on academic achievement, but they also include performance in non-academicareas such as attitude, effort, work habi ts, attendance and values development. Often, for chil dren with

disabilities, progress will be mapped against goals in an individual learning plan.

Even though regular reports are given out across Australia, the format of these variesnationally and from school to school. The timing of reports can range from one each termto semester reports. Reports can be a combination of descri ptive comments, marks orgrades such as A, B, C, D and exam and semester results shown in percentages.

In some schools, reports include samples of student work to demonstrate skills andcompetencies. Some schools report on a students overall ranking in the class. Parentshave indicated that they appreciate this kind of comparative information as well asobjective benchmarks or standards against which they can assess their childs progress. In

Parentsneed m orein f o rm a t ion t o

m ake in fo rm edchoices .

The con ten t o fschoo l repor t sshapes how

w el l pa ren t sc an s uppo r tthe i r ch i ld s

learn ing.


29/55


some schools, students are encouraged to reflect on their own learning and achievements, with self-reflectionincluded in their student report.

At present, some parents receive reports which include information about a students literacy and numeracy

performance against national standards. Allparents in Australia should receive these reports for Years 3 and 5li teracy and numeracy achievement. In time, this should also be available at the Year 7 level. This is valuableinformation for parents as an independent measure of achievement and progress in li teracy and numeracy. Itis however, restricted to these basic learning areas. The possibili ty of extending such independent assessmentand reporting to other areas of schooling, such as science, civics and information and communicationtechnology, is being explored.


For meaningful involvement in their childs schooling, parents need a rich set of information about schools,

about school performance and about their childs learning and development.This information needs to be well presented, easily understood, comprehensive and objective. Clear andconsistent reporting on schools and students across Australia, incorporating objective performance measures isa vital element of school accountability and a vital ingredient of effective parental involvement.

W h a t k i n d o f i n f o r m a t i o n w o u ld h e lp y o u c h o o s e a sc h o o l ?

H o w s h o u ld s c h o o ls r ep o r t in f o r m a t io n t o p a r en t s , a n d h o w

o f t e n ?


30/55


7 . Fo c u s in g o n t h e v a lu e s t h a t y o u n gp e o p le n e e d

Education is about more than equipping Australian students with specif ic ski ll s and knowledge. It i s also aboutdeveloping posit ive, productive atti tudes and building character. It i s about giving and living the values ournation needs.

Australian society has a shared sense of values that unite people and are important for accepting andcelebrating diversity. Values such as tolerance, trustworthiness, mutual respect, courage, compassion, honesty,courtesy and doing ones best are part of our democrati c way of life and shape our chil drens understanding ofthemselves and of the world.

In a rapidly changing world, young people need to exercise judgement in matters of ethics, morali ty and socialjustice and accept responsibility for their own actions. Schools can help students develop a sense of social and

community responsibi li ty. They reinforce national values and enable students to understand and participate inour democratic institutions.


Programs in values education and civics and cit izenship provide opportunities for Australian students to gainthe capabilities they need to become responsible and informed citizens.

Values based education can make school environments safer and more supportive,helping students to develop social ski ll s and build resil ience.

A number of schools use values education to address issues such as school behaviour,discipline, bullying, violence and substance abuse. Some adopt mottos, school l ogos anduniforms that promote a posit ive and welcoming school culture. Schools report that thesegive students a sense of shared values, pride, belonging and identity.

Many schools embed the values they teach in their educational planning. Many schoolsmarket themselves to parents on the basis of these values.

Research shows that values schools promote are best determined by schools with their students andcommunities.


School programs in values education and civics and citizenship are at different stages of development acrossAustralia. There is much to be learned by sharing the experiences of the many schools that have successful lyembraced values education.

Valueseduca t ionhe lps s tuden ts

bu i ld soc ia lsk i l ls an db e c o m e

res i l ient .


31/55


Values Education Study - action research in values education

The Australian Government initiated a national Values Education study in July 2002 to enable schools to build on existing

practices and to share successful approaches to values-based education. The study involved 69 schools across the country.

One of the parti cipat ing schools, Xavier Community Education Centre on Bathurst Island in the Northern Terri tory, undertook

the Tiwi MindMattersproject. This aimed at helpi ng its students to become more resilient, improve their behaviour and

attendance at school, and encourage a safe learning environment.

At Xavier, the approach of MindMatterswas matched to the local culture by involving the Tiwi staff in producing MindMatters

lessons i n a Tiwi appropriate way . The values Xavier seeks to insti l in students through school grow out of the specific

circumstances on Bathurst Island, together with the values the school sees as important and those the Tiwi community

embraces. The result is a set of values comprising: fami ly and belonging to skin groups; being a good bloke , which appli es

to males and females and means being sensible, helpful, sharing and spreading goodwill; giving and helping; respect forthe land; hunting; skil ls for survival i n their own communities and beyond; and l iteracy in both Tiwi and English.

As well as supporting school initiatives like this, the study carried out complementary surveys with parents, teachers and

students to determine how schools can foster the values of the community.

The case study reports, survey outcomes and supporting research, published in November 2003 ( www.dest.gov.au/

schools/publications/2003/VES/VES_Report.pdf), provides a sound and informed basis about current best practice

and what needs to be done to strengthen values education in schools. The outcomes wil l l ead to improved values education

being developed, promoted and fostered in Australian schools.

W h a t v a lu e s a n d a t t r ib u t e s w o u l d y o u l ik e e n c o u r a g e d ins c h o o l s ?

H o w c a n sc h o o l s b e s t p r e p a r e y o u n g p e o p le t o b e c o m er e s p o n s i b l e c i t i z e n s ?

D o y o u l ik e t o s e e s c h o o l u n i f o r m s an d s c h o o l m o t t o s ?


32/55


8 . Cr ea t in g sa f e sc h o o l e n v ir o n m e n t s

How we as a community protect the vulnerable transition from childhood to adulthood in a safe and healthy

school environment is a cri tical measure of a cari ng society. When parents send their children to school theyexpect that they will be able to learn in a secure and supportive environment and that the school will safeguardtheir emotional, social and physical wellbeing.

Young people need to develop the ski ll s, att itudes and values that will lead them to make posit ive choicesthrough li fe. They need to develop resil ience to respond to l ifes challenges. Parents have a right to expectthat their children wil l be able to go to school without being bull ied, harassed or exposed to violence. Schoolsand parents can work together to reinforce positive messages and provide useful information that will putstudents on the path to healthy, socially responsible and productive lives.


Safe and supportive schools

A 1997 study showed that one child in six was bullied each week in Australian schools. In 2002, Kids Help Linereceived almost 6,000 calls about bullying from young people around the country. Bullying was one of thethree most common reasons why children under 15 sought help from the service. Experts say that up to 50 %of children have been bullied in the past year.

There are no circumstances where bullying is acceptable. The damaging effects of bullying, both for those whoare bull ied and for those who do the bullying, can be long lasting. Chil dren who are bulli ed have higher levels

of stress, anxiety, depression and i llness and have an increased tendency to suicide. Young people who bullyare more likely to drop out of school and use drugs and alcohol or be involved in violent behaviour inadult l ife.

Schools can work with parents and students to prevent bullying, by teaching and showingyoung people the values and skills they need for positive relationships. Teachers at themoment are not well equipped to deal with this issue. For example, only 36 % of newteachers in a recent survey felt that their teacher training had prepared them well tohandle bullying.

Schools have serious responsibilities in preventing and responding to child abuse. Their

main role is to provide a supportive environment in which students can learn to recogniseabuse and speak up about it .

A national approach has been developed to ensure that every Australi an school offers a safe learningenvironment. Good practice examples can help schools create and maintain supportive environments and findthe best ways to handle incidents of bull ying, harassment, violence or any form of abuse.

Drug free schools

Teaching chil dren about the dangers of ill icit and unsanctioned drugs is cri tical in modern society. Il li cit drugshave no place in Australian schools. In 2001, around 20 % of young people aged 14 to 17 tried cannabis

S t uden t ss hou l d beprotec ted f rom

bu l ly ing a tschoo l .


33/55


and about 4 % used amphetamines. Drug education strategies to date have been successful in control ling theuse of unsanctioned drugs in schools. More and more schools are participati ng in school drug education andlearning from each other.

One clear finding from recent research is that both primary and secondary students respond best to school drugeducation when there is a strong and united approach from schools, families and community agencies. Thisshared responsibi li ty increases a students capacity to make well -informed, healthy decisions arounddrug issues.

What can make a difference?

Creating a safe and nurturing environment for all young people, at schools and in society,must be a national priority for Australia. A first step is for all schools to adopt protocols fordealing with bullying, violence and child abuse.

It is important for schools, parents, students and the wider community to work together toensure that students can feel safe and protected at school. Teachers need training and supportto confidently tackle these cri ticall y important issues.

Schools, parents and students need ready access to information and strategies that have been tried and testedin areas such as bullying, chil d protection and drug education.

Making Australian schools safer

Bullying. No way! is a project that is contributed to by all school authorities and supported by the state and Australian

governments. See: www.bullyingnoway.com.au

Kids Help Line. See: www.kidshelp.com.au

W h a t a r e t h e m o s t e f f e c t iv e w a y s o f d e a lin g w it h b u l ly in ga t s c h o o l?

H o w c a n p a r en t s a n d sc h o o l s w o r k t o g e t h er b e t t e r t o k e ep

y o u n g p e o p le sa f e a n d h e a lt h y ?

Resi l iencein y oun g

peop le m eansa safer,

h eal th ier l i fe.


34/55


9 . A c c e le ra t in g In d ig e n o u s e d u c a t io no u t c o m e s

No society can consider that it has succeeded while education outcomes for some groups of students lag farbehind others. Indigenous Australians face chall enges that are signi ficantly greater than other Australians.The disadvantages faced by Indigenous students living in communities where alcohol abuse and domesticviolence are prevalent, or where there is limited access to mainstream infrastructure, are greater than thosefaced by students in large cities.


On many measures, recent results for Indigenous students are the best they have ever been. In the basic ski llsof l iteracy and numeracy, the performance of Indigenous students has improved since national testing began

in 1999. Sti ll , Indigenous students have lower literacy and numeracy ski ll s than other students 67 % ofIndigenous students achieved the Year 5 reading benchmark in the 2001 national assessments compared with90 % of all students.

Indigenous Year 12 enrolments have risen to a record 2,941 students in 2002. Retention rates for Indigenousstudents, at around 38 % , are stil l unacceptably lower than the nati onal average, even though they have risenby nearly 10 percentage points over the last six years.

The disadvantage experienced by Indigenous students is particularly pronounced in remote regions ofAustralia. In remote parts of the Northern Terri tory, for instance, only one in eight Indigenous students wil lpass a basic Year 3 reading test, compared with the average across Australia for Indigenous eight-year-olds

of six in eight. Only one in ten Indigenous Australi ans in remote regions completes Year 12, compared with anational figure of nearly four in ten.


While there are significant improvements to point to in Indigenous education outcomesin recent years, more targeted efforts could accelerate this progress. In parti cular, effortneeds to be directed at remote regions where the greatest educational disadvantageexists.

Evidence is mounting to show what k ind of approaches and init iat ives make the mostdifference to educational outcomes. These are the areas where the greatest effort i sneeded. They include attracting Indigenous teachers into the profession and ensuring thatall teachers and principals have a knowledge and understanding of Indigenous cultures.

Close coordination of the various health and social services offered in a communityis especially relevant for schools serving Indigenous communities. Close connectionsbetween families, schools and the wider community enable a school to be more responsiveto community needs, more effectively supporting the lives of children and families andimproving educational participation.

M ore ta rge ted

ef for ts ,f ocus ingon areas

of g reates tneed, cou ldaccelerateprog ress in

Ind igenouseduca t ionou t c om es .


35/55


MURDI PAAKI Shared Responsibility

Murdi Paaki is part of a new approach that recognises that neither governments norIndigenous communities can improve the outcomes for Indigenous people on their own.

Only by working together and sharing responsibility can the flow-on effects of better health

and education for young Indigenous people be achieved.

Following community consultations, the Murdi Paaki Regional Council (which represents 16 Indigenous communities in

western New South Wales) and the Australian and New South Wales Governments have agreed to work in partnership to

address key regional pr ior it ies. These prior it ies, recognised in a Shared Responsibili tyagreement, focus on:

improving the health and well being of children and young people;

improving educational attainment and school retention;

helping fami lies to raise healthy children; and

strengthening community and regional governance structures.

Murdi Paaki is one of eight trial sites in a whole of government approach to improving the outcomes for Indigenous people

involving Indigenous communities and the state and Australian governments. Simi lar ini tiatives are under way in Cape York

in Queensland, Wadeye in the Northern Territory, the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands in South Australia, the WA COAG site in

Western Australia, Shepparton in Victoria, the ACT and the northern region of Tasmania.

More information is available from: www.icc.gov.au

W h a t a r e t h e b e st w a y s t o e n c o u r a g e t h e p a r t ic ip a t io n o f

p a r en t s a n d t h e c o m m u n i t y in t h e e d u c a t io n o f In d i g e n o u ss t u d e n t s ?


36/55


1 0 . En s u r i n g s ea m le ss t r a n s it io n s f r o msc h o o l t o w o r k o r f u r t h e r ed u c a t io n

I. Career choices

Today, young Australians can expect to have from five to seven dif ferent careers throughout their li fetime. Theywill need resilience and initiative to help them learn, plan and manage their careers effectively.

Students heading for this unpredictable future need to be independent learners, flexible and engaged with thecommunity. Adaptabil ity, flexibi li ty and the capacity to manage their working lives wil l become key li fe ski ll sfor young people leaving school.

Preparation for this kind of future starts early. Strong professional career education and advice in schoolsfrom early in secondary school can equip students to make the best choices and will stand them in good steadthroughout their working l ives. Choices wil l be based on interests, aspirations and capabil ity and be informedby the best available information about work and study options.


Today s young people look to parents, teachers and friends for advice on careers. Their preferences andambit ions are strongly influenced by their immediate environment. From an early age, they have developedideas of what it means to be a builder, a lawyer or a consultant in information technology.

Around 90 % of senior secondary school students intend to undertake further education

or traini ng after school, with many of these aiming for university study. About 30 %of final year school l eavers go straight on to university. Others may go on to TAFE orother education, New Apprenticeships or straight to work and some wil l be active jobseekers. Some of those who go directly to work return to study at a later stage. Careerdevelopment should reflect this reali ty and cover all the options open to students.

Career services in schools can vary considerabl y in standard. They often fail to provideadequate or appropri ate information to students. Strong programs need professional lytrained staff as well as the support of the school principal.

What can make a difference?Making career decisions is no easy thing. Decisions made at school form the cri tical basis for outcomes infuture life. Young people need to know what direction to take and this includes whether to pursue a Year 12certificate, a vocational equivalent or indeed another way of reaching a goal.

Parents are the major influence on young peoples career and study choices. To help their children make thedecisions that are right for them, they need access to up-to-date and accurate information, so they can workcooperatively with teachers and careers advisers.

Improving information and increasing vocational learning opportunities in schools is a priority for all levels ofgovernment. National effort i s focusing on identi fying the career-bui lding ski ll s young Australi ans wil l need

over their lifetime.

The qu a li t y o fcareer adv icevar ies acrossAus t ra l ia .

Careersadv isers n eedprofess iona lt ra in ing .


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Through this work, a consistent national approach to quality career information, educationand guidance wil l be developed.

Introducing professional standards for school careers advisers could improve the quality of

career advice. It is a professional and demanding job, not one that can be left to teacherswith no professional training in careers education.

Thanks to a number of trials and pilot programs around Australia, evidence is buildingup to show the value of students having individual career plans. These individual plansare living documents that can be changed and updated as young people move throughsecondary school. They help students design and review their learning and workexperiences so they can reach their career goals.

myfuture - An interactive, online career explorationservice

myfuture.edu.au is Australias online career exploration and information system.

It is for all Australians who want to explore their skills and interests and identify possible

career paths. It helps each person to develop a career plan and research options for

further study and training.

The service is available free on the internet for everyone, not just school students. Its

easy to follow and provides up-to- date information about the labour market, education, training and jobs in Austral ia.

Using myfutureyoung people can create their own profi le. They can match their interests, values, ski ll s, aspirati ons and

abilities to identified occupations. They can re-enter and exit the site at any time, and update their profile as their skills

develop or interests change.

myfutureassists adults returning to the workforce or changing career direction as well as students working out where to go

after school. The site contains information on industries, small business, courses, traini ng providers, financial support and

much more.

The site (www.myfuture.edu.au ) is also designed to help career counsellors, teachers and parents. Feedback about the

site has been great.

I think this site is fantastic. I am a Youth Worker based in a secondary school and will be using this extensively with year

nine students.

Your website has been a huge help to me and thank you very much for helping me decide what I want to do in the future.

You have put me already one step ahead.

Congratulations on a bril liant site. With l imited resources in our college it is often diff icult to provide students with the most

ideal resources. This site is very informative, helpful and user-friendly.

Plann ing andm a n a g i n g

a career

are l i fet im eact iv i t ies .

Good career

educa t ionand gu i danc e

are an

essen t ia l par to f schoo l ing .


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W h e r e d o y o u t h i n k y o u r c h i ld r e n g e t m o s t o f t h e i r id e a sa b o u t c a r e er s ?

W h a t k i n d o f in t e r n et s i t e s d o y o u n g p e o p l e t u r n t o f o rc a r e e r in f o r m a t i o n ? W h i c h s it e s a r e m o s t u s e f u l ?


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1 0 . En s u r i n g s ea m le ss t r a n s it io n s f r o msc h o o l t o w o r k o r f u r t h e r ed u c a t io n

II. Transit ion support

Moving through school to work and further study can be a daunting time for young people. It i s also a timewhen parents and grandparents worry about how they can help.

To make effective transitions, students need a strong foundation of basic skills such as numeracy and literacyand access to career and transit ion i nformation and support. They need to be able to adapt to differentsettings and social groups, learn new rules and expectations and be more independent.

Students benefit from a positive attitude and communi ty engagement. Schools can assist them by providing aflexible learning environment and close links between schools and the wider community.

As a nation, Australia would reap major social and economic benefits from ensuringthat all young people move from school into further education and training or good

jobs. The benefits come from a better educated and more productive workforce, a lowerunemployment rate, a healthier society and greater social cohesion.


Each year, over a quar ter of a mi ll ion Australian teenagers leave school, having f ini shedat Year 12 or earlier.

On leaving school, they face a wide range of options. Around 6 out of 10 of them go on to formal tertiaryeducation or training, with half of these going straight to university, and half undertaking VET programsincluding New Apprenticeships.

A further 1 in 4 wil l go into full -time or part-time jobs with no formal education attached. A very smallnumber will not be in the labour force because they are doing things like raising families or travelling, andabout 1 in 10 will be unemployed.

Leaving school, young people face a maze of information and have lots of decisions to make. They face a widerange of options which are not easily understood and a variety of service delivery agencies which can make

access difficult and confusing.

For information about what to do after they leave school, students look especially toparents, friends or older sibl ings who have made this transition before them. Some mayturn to the wide range of government services which have been introduced to support andguide students in schools, to provide labour market assistance, to bui ld school-work andschool-VET links and to promote flexible school and work and training options.

Services have also been developed for young people who are at most risk of droppingout of education. These approaches are all part of the strong national commitment tohelping young people in their transition from school.

Schoo ls have

an im po r t an tro le in he lp ing

s t uden t s

prepare forth ei r l ife af ter

schoo l .

In fo rm at ion

and s uppo r tserv ices for

y oung peop leleav ing schoo l

a re no t w e llo rgan ised .


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What can m

taking schools to the next level the national education framework for schools

Documents