Figures show 62 per cent of students given special consideration came from private schools

Private school students are twice as likely as those from state schools to get special consideration, with experts saying it could be due to the “excessive pressure” to get good exam results.

Private schools are doing mass applications of special consideration for VCE students, with claims of learning disabilities and mental health problems tripling in recent years.

Such students are twice as likely as those from state schools to get extra time, rest breaks or other assistance to help them complete exams and assessments.

In 2022, 8235 students were granted special consideration, a 150 per cent increase on a decade ago, according to data from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VACC).

One quarter of approvals were from Catholic schools, 37 per cent from independent schools and 36 per cent from government schools.

There were 8235 students granted special consideration in 2022. Picture: iStock

This means that 62 per cent of students given special consideration came from private schools, although such students only make up 37 per cent of the Victorian cohort.

Applications for learning disabilities and mental health conditions have increased threefold in private schools in the past five years but only doubled in state schools.

Overall, 98.6 per cent of students had their applications approved, with learning disability applications given the green light only 91.7 per cent of the time. Mental health conditions – a category only treated separately in 2018 – have surged in the past four years to become the most common reason for special consideration applications.

Dr Steve Lewis, senior ­research fellow from the Australian Catholic University, said the figures reflect “the tremendous stress and disruption our young people are facing in the wake of Covid-19”.

“This rise in special consideration can also be seen in the context of the excessive pressure for students to perform on standardised, high-stakes assessments,” he said. The number of students ­applying for derived examination scores – 96 per cent of which are approved – has also soared in recent years.

Such students do not sit final exams due to natural disasters or the death of a family member, and their GAT results and school assessments are used instead.

Last year there was a 99 per cent increase in derived score requests – 8273 applications in 2022 compared to 3956 in 2021 – primarily due to the floods.

In this category, 78 per cent of approvals are from private schools despite making up only 37 per cent of students. These figures come amid a rise in the rates of students undertaking unscored VCE studies who are awarded a certificate of completion with less than four study scores.

In 2022 10.9 per cent of students undertook this less stressful option, up from 10.6 per cent in 2021 and 8.3 per cent in 2020.

A spokesman from the Department of Education said more “pathways that don’t ­require an ATAR are opened up to students – whether that’s university pre-offers, more courses added to Free TAFE or other initiatives to make further education available to more Victorian students”.

A spokesman said the VCAA “recognises that individual students may need special provision in their learning program to achieve the learning outcomes, and in assessment to demonstrate their learning and achievement”.

“Special provision is available to all students completing the VCE for classroom learning, school-based assessment and VCE external assessments where it is appropriate,” the VCAA statement said.

“Schools, who know their students best, are responsible for submitting an application for special examination arrangements on behalf of their students.” Applications can still be made.

Originally published as Figures show 62 per cent of students given special consideration came from private schools