June 11th
Raising the School Leaving Age.
On 28 January 2009, the Premier of New South Wales Nathan Rees announced that from 1 January 2010:
* students in NSW will be required to remain at school until the end of Year 10; and
* after completing Year 10, students will be required to remain in some form of education, training or employment until they turn 17.
Australian and international research demonstrates that when young people remain at school for a longer term, it brings substantial benefits for both the individual and the economy. Those who complete school (i.e. complete Year 12) are much more likely to continue their study or training at another institution (TAFE, University etc).
This is in contrast to figures about students who leave school early. These students appear to have less certainty in their employment and further study or training. This translates into quite a difference in wage between the two groups.
The NSW Government has indicated it will continue to consult schools during the development and implementation stages of its school leaving age reform. Areas schools will be required to look at will be:
• How will we continue to engage students in the learning process.
• What support can we provide to students who wish to seek employment or alternate study and training (e.g. TAFE).
• Do we need to alter the curriculum to satisfy the needs of the additional students.
• Can we extend the VET options for students who do not meet an academic pathway.
• How can we provide information for students about possible pathways.
Most of our students remain at school to further their study. Those who leave generally change schools or enroll at a TAFE. Very few of our students will need to be concerned by this statement. Rest assured, those who do will be looked after and will be interviewed extensively to assist their proposed pathway.
More information will be available at our Stage 6 Information evening (Monday June 15th at 8.00pm).
Changes to the Universities Admission Index (UAI).
In 2009, the Universities Admissions Index (UAI) for NSW and ACT Year 12 students is changing to the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). With the new name there will be some minor changes that students and parents will need to know about.
The number given to the maximum rank in NSW and the ACT will now be an ATAR of 99.95, as opposed to a UAI of 100. This means our students will now be in line with others in other states.
Achieving an ATAR of 99.95 is the same as achieving a UAI of 100 – a student receiving 99.95 is in the top ranked group of students.
The ATAR will indicate a student’s position in relation to the Year 7 students they began high school with. These changes have been introduced to achieve national consistency in the name and reporting of selection ranks. All states (except Queensland) will be introducing the name ATAR for their selection ranks over the next two years.
The rules for the ATAR are exactly the same as for the UAI. The scaling process will be the same, the rank order of students will be the same, and the same applicants will be selected for the same courses. Any small change in an ATAR compared to a UAI will see an equivalent change in the course cut-off.
The ATAR will use 99.95 as its top rank point, rather than 100 in the former UAI system. In other ways, however, the ATAR will be very similar to the UAI.
Parents and students are reminded that this will have no impact on the Higher School Certificate. HSC marks report on what a student has achieved in each course, and a mark of 100 will still be possible.
UAC has provided a conversion table, frequently asked questions and other information on its website. Read more on the UAC website.