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School Certificate (New South Wales)

December 15, 2023

The School Certificate was a qualification issued by the Board of Studies, typically at the end of Year 10. The successful completion of the School Certificate was a requirement for completion of the Higher School Certificate. The School Certificate was issued for the last time in 2011. It has been replaced with the RoSA (Record of School Achievement)

Tests edit

To receive the School Certificate, students were required to sit for the School Certificate tests. There were five tests:

  • English-literacy
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Australian History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship
  • Computing Skills

Requirements edit

Each student was required to study English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography and Australian Civics and Citizenship and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PD/H/PE) every year in Years 7-10. Each course was also supposed to include a degree of computer use, so students became familiar with that technology.

At some time during Years 7-10 students must have studied courses in Creative Arts (Visual Arts and Music), Technology and Applied Studies and a Language Other Than English.

The student may also have completed a number of additional studies (electives). These additional studies were required to be completed in a number of hours, as defined by the Board of Studies. A student had a choice of these additional studies according to the courses which were available at their school.

Review and abolition edit

In his 1997 report "Shaping their future", Professor Barry McGaw was highly critical of the School Certificate. His report noted several deficiencies in the School Certificate, including:

  • The lack of preparedness of many students for Year 11 and 12
  • The apparent lack of challenge posed by Year 10 studies for more able students
  • The ‘low stakes’ nature of the external assessment where students were not accountable for their own individual results
  • Perceptions that the timing of external examinations in the middle of Year 10 has lessened the significance of subsequent Year 10 studies
  • Concerns about a perceived discontinuity between junior and senior secondary school studies.

Professor McGaw recommended that the School Certificate be abolished and replaced, for students leaving school, with a statement of achievement which would include each student’s results on statewide tests in literacy and numeracy as well as school-based results in all courses completed in Year 10.[1]

Despite Professor McGaw's recommendations, the New South Wales government remained committed to the School Certificate, though major changes were made to its structure and timing in order to address some of the concerns listed above.[2]

The disparity between the recommendations of the McGaw report and the actions taken by the New South Wales government led to frequent rumours and press reports of the ultimate abolition of the School Certificate.[3] However, the NSW Government remained committed to the School Certificate for several years.[4] In 2010, the New South Wales Government asked the Board of Studies to review the School Certificate as part of the changes to the school leaving age in New South Wales and also the development of a national curriculum.[5] The NSW Government announced the abolition of the School Certificate after 2011, with students in year 10 that year being the final cohort to sit the external examinations and receive the qualification.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Quoted in Securing their Future
  2. ^ Securing their Future
  3. ^ Doherty, Linda (2005) Testing times: school certificate faces axe The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 August 2005. Retrieved on 10 December 2007.
  4. ^ NSW Student Assessment on Track and a Model for the Nation 2007-10-01 at the Wayback Machine NSW Dept of Education and Training, 18 January 2007. Retrieved on 10 December 2007.
  5. ^ http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/news/announcements/yr2010/may/sc_review.php
  6. ^ "NSW axes outdated School Certificate". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 August 2011.
  7. ^ . www.postzambia.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-06.
  8. ^ "'Going to secondary school without sitting for examination is enough to contest election'". 9 February 2015.

External links edit

  • Board of Studies NSW
  • Securing their Future: The New South Wales Government's response to the McGaw report

December 15, 2023
school, certificate, south, wales, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, school, certificate, south, wales. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources School Certificate New South Wales news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message The School Certificate was a qualification issued by the Board of Studies typically at the end of Year 10 The successful completion of the School Certificate was a requirement for completion of the Higher School Certificate The School Certificate was issued for the last time in 2011 It has been replaced with the RoSA Record of School Achievement Contents 1 Tests 2 Requirements 3 Review and abolition 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksTests editTo receive the School Certificate students were required to sit for the School Certificate tests There were five tests English literacy Mathematics Science Australian History Geography Civics and Citizenship Computing SkillsRequirements editEach student was required to study English Mathematics Science History Geography and Australian Civics and Citizenship and Personal Development Health and Physical Education PD H PE every year in Years 7 10 Each course was also supposed to include a degree of computer use so students became familiar with that technology At some time during Years 7 10 students must have studied courses in Creative Arts Visual Arts and Music Technology and Applied Studies and a Language Other Than English The student may also have completed a number of additional studies electives These additional studies were required to be completed in a number of hours as defined by the Board of Studies A student had a choice of these additional studies according to the courses which were available at their school Review and abolition editIn his 1997 report Shaping their future Professor Barry McGaw was highly critical of the School Certificate His report noted several deficiencies in the School Certificate including The lack of preparedness of many students for Year 11 and 12 The apparent lack of challenge posed by Year 10 studies for more able students The low stakes nature of the external assessment where students were not accountable for their own individual results Perceptions that the timing of external examinations in the middle of Year 10 has lessened the significance of subsequent Year 10 studies Concerns about a perceived discontinuity between junior and senior secondary school studies Professor McGaw recommended that the School Certificate be abolished and replaced for students leaving school with a statement of achievement which would include each student s results on statewide tests in literacy and numeracy as well as school based results in all courses completed in Year 10 1 Despite Professor McGaw s recommendations the New South Wales government remained committed to the School Certificate though major changes were made to its structure and timing in order to address some of the concerns listed above 2 The disparity between the recommendations of the McGaw report and the actions taken by the New South Wales government led to frequent rumours and press reports of the ultimate abolition of the School Certificate 3 However the NSW Government remained committed to the School Certificate for several years 4 In 2010 the New South Wales Government asked the Board of Studies to review the School Certificate as part of the changes to the school leaving age in New South Wales and also the development of a national curriculum 5 The NSW Government announced the abolition of the School Certificate after 2011 with students in year 10 that year being the final cohort to sit the external examinations and receive the qualification 6 See also editEducation in Australia School Certificate UK School Certificate New Zealand School Certificate Mauritius School Certificate Other variants Zambia 7 Nigeria 8 Higher School Certificate New South Wales Board of Studies NSW Education Standards AuthorityReferences edit Quoted in Securing their Future Securing their Future Doherty Linda 2005 Testing times school certificate faces axe The Sydney Morning Herald 20 August 2005 Retrieved on 10 December 2007 NSW Student Assessment on Track and a Model for the Nation Archived 2007 10 01 at the Wayback Machine NSW Dept of Education and Training 18 January 2007 Retrieved on 10 December 2007 http www schools nsw edu au news announcements yr2010 may sc review php NSW axes outdated School Certificate The Sydney Morning Herald 4 August 2011 The Post www postzambia com Archived from the original on 2015 07 06 Going to secondary school without sitting for examination is enough to contest election 9 February 2015 External links editBoard of Studies NSW Securing their Future The New South Wales Government s response to the McGaw report Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title School Certificate New South Wales amp oldid 1163335036, wikipedia, 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