SACE 2022: South Australia universities anger principals with conditional offers to year 12 students

Universities have made thousands of offers to year 12 students before they even sit exams – angering principals and teachers who have spent months getting them ready for SACE.

Two of the state’s universities have been criticised for offering degree positions to thousands of year 12 students before they start sitting final exams this week

Principals are angry University of Adelaide and Flinders University have sent letters in the past two weeks to students making conditional offers based on their year 11 results despite a moratorium banning contact while they prepare for their exams.

The University of South Australia also has criticised the practice – introduced during the pandemic to counter a loss of overseas students – saying it had not made offers because it distracted students while they were studying.

MORE: YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SACE 2022

One public secondary school principal said the two universities were demotivating students from achieving their best results because they already had received offers to study degrees.

“They are meant to be focused on their revision and making sure they get the best ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) scores they can,” he said.

“Instead they have gone ahead and approached students who now know they will get into university by just passing SACE.

“Quite a few principals are not happy with it all as it was only meant to be a stopgap measure during the pandemic.”

Westminster School Year 12 maths students Zoe Sibbons and Harry Gregg prepare for exams, 3rd November 2022. Picture: Brenton Edwards

UniSA chief academic officer Professor Joanne Cys said the universities believed conditional offers “diminish the equity and transparency of admissions to higher education”.

“They are detrimental to students successfully completing their SACE, that’s why UniSA does not offer them,” she said.

“During the Year 12 exam period the universities and SATAC (South Australia Tertiary Admissions Centre) have an agreed moratorium on contacting students so not to distract them from their studies and exams.

“UniSA does not make offers during this period because we respect the importance of this time for year 12 students.”

A SATAC spokesman said it had asked them to observe a moratorium period “whereby they are asked to protect year 12 students from unwarranted intrusion during their preparation for, and participation in, final examinations and external assessments”

“This is to ensure that students are able to focus on their studies at this time to maximise the benefits of their studies and their future opportunities,” he said.

Unley High School students (from left) Kayla Wong, 18, Kai Brown, 17, Zara Harvey, 18, and Scout Sylva-Richardson are sitting their SACE exams. Picture: MATT LOXTON

Asked what SATAC, a not for profit company, had done to enforce the moratorium, he said the conditional offers were managed by the universities.

“Any communications regarding these are not within SATAC’s remit,” he said.

The Independent Education Union, which represents members in the state’s 200 independent non-government schools, said there were “valid equity arguments: for providing bonus tertiary points for various educationally disadvantaged groups, such as regional and indigenous students.

However, state secretary Glen Seidel said there was “no merit” in universities providing pre-approval “to mainstream students who have not been through the normal assessment process and thereby circumvent the normal competitive entry process”.

“To claim-stake students irrespective of TER is a slap in the face for all those students who put in the hard yards and follow the full competitive assessment process,” he said.

“If the universities have no faith in the SACE system, they should work at the SACE Board level to fix it, rather than simply ignore it at will as an economic shortcut to bolster student numbers.”

Year 12 students Darma Simpkins, Adelle Massom, and Nirmit Naik prepare for their exams. . Picture: Linda Higginson

University of Adelaide deputy vice-chancellor (academic) Professor Jennie Shaw confirmed 2100 applications had been received from Year 12 students invited to apply for the university’s Year 11 Entry Pathway Program website in August.

“Just under 2100 applications were received and 1552 conditional offers have been made, with formal offers to be made through SATAC in January,” she said.

Prof Shaw said the program had been designed to “alleviate high stress around the detrimental impacts of the Covid pandemic in 2020-22 on student learning”.

“Offers were sent out this year just before SACE Year 12 exams and should not impact student preparation,” she said.

“Eight five per cent of students who received early entry in the last intake were also accepted on ATAR.”

Prof Shaw said the university would be ending the Year 11 program this year.

Year 12 students Oneli 18, Gabrielle 18 and Avantiika 17 have been studying hard for their exams. Picture: David Caird

Flinders University deputy vice chancellor (students) Professor Romy Lawson said the conditional entry scheme was “in response to schools and their students wanting to better navigate the uncertainty and stress caused by Covid-19”.

“Students who’ve been experiencing the disruption of the pandemic have been given the opportunity to apply for conditional 2023 entry ahead of their exams,” she said.

“Compared to last year, we moved our offer period forward to September in alignment with the University of Adelaide’s offer period, providing choice and clarity early and allowing students to focus on their exams with the reassurance of knowing that they had secured a conditional offer for a university place.”

Students wait to start a year 12 exam. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Prof Lawson said while entry was conditional on the successful completion of SACE, school leaders had told the university “it takes the pressure off students and allows them to perform at their best”.

“The academic performance of previous Year 11 conditional offer students at university is strong,” she said.

“Their grade point average was similar to students whose entry to university was on the basis of their (ATAR).”

Prof Lawson disputed claims the scheme was connected to the loss of international students during the pandemic.

“It is focused entirely on supporting onshore students during a period of disruption,” she said.

Among those sitting their first SACE exams on Monday are year 12 Westminster School maths students Zoe Sibbons and Harry Gregg.

Both were confident their work during the year would stand them in good stead.

“I’ve done my cheat sheet and think I have pretty much everything I need for the exam,” said Ms Sibbons, 17.