As we move through another term and navigate our way through different challenges, we are reminded that we still need to consider life post the challenges. This includes subject selection for students in Years 7-11 and Year 12 students need to consider what they may be doing post their secondary school studies.
VTAC applications
Term 3 sees VTAC applications opening up to enable Year 12 students to select courses they are considering for next year. Year 12 students have met with Ms Gonzalez (Pathways Leader) to explore, understand, research and consider their options.
What is different in 2020 is an acknowledgement that an ATAR ranking is just one way for students to access a university pathway and that it is not the only predictor of success. Universities have recognised that COVID-19 has had an impact on Year 12 students and, as a result, have created new pathways that offer current Year 12 students further opportunities. The universities still have the Early Entry programs and also, to help Year 12 students prepare for the exam period, universities have introduced free access to hundreds of text guides, practice exams and study notes until the end of the year to help them ace their studies. This will occur differently according to the institute of choice and only occurs when students apply to the early entry programs.
Virtual VTAC information sessions have been run by Ms Gonzalez through remote assemblies demonstrating each step of the application process: Course application, Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS), and scholarships. These were recorded so that students can watch again after the assembly.
VTAC is also providing online workshops for students and families to provide further support during the current climate. The sessions have been split and run as follows:
Special Consideration (COVID-19)
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) will introduce a new consideration of educational disadvantage process to calculate VCE scores, taking into account disruptions to learning this year.
This process will require schools to provide the VCAA with information on students and school circumstances to help calculate their study scores. This will include information about the circumstances and impact of the disruption on students, as well as additional data, such as estimated assessment scores.
To ensure the fairness of final results, the VCAA will consider all available information, including the General Achievement Test (GAT) and appropriate comparisons of performance across all assessments and schools. Based on this analysis, disadvantage will be factored into students’ final scores, which will then contribute to the study score calculation. This approach will ensure that Victorian students are not disadvantaged in comparison to interstate students in the calculation of their individual ATAR.
Employability Skills
The impact of COVID-19 on the labour market has been drastic, with an average 50% less job advertisements. It is worth noting however, the skills that employers are most commonly seeking remain the same, even during this time. The below infogram from DET shows the skills that are most requested in orange font. Important for us to keep in mind as we prepare our students for future employability.
Joanna De Bono - Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching
