Too many West Australian students are dropping out of school after Year 11, the state’s education minister has warned.
In parliament this week Minister Tony Buti said he stood firm on his stance ATAR was the best preparation for attending university and that those with the capacity should take on the exams.
But he said the school system itself was encouraging students to avoid subjects they found more challenging and the conditions students must meet to graduate were too onerous.
WA Education Minister Tony Buti.Credit: Fairfax Media
“The system and the architecture of the current year 11 and year 12 was devised, established and created in the 1970s and early 1980s when most students did not go into year 11,” he said.
“When I was going through Kelmscott Senior High School, about 30 per cent of students went from year 10 to year 11.
“Now, basically all students go from year 10 to year 11 ... there is a major issue about retention from year 11 and 12.”
Buti said he believed part of the problem were the conditions students must meet to gain their WA Certificate of Education (WACE).
A student must achieve at the least 14 C-grades out of the minimum of 20 units across senior schooling.
“There will be some students who are concerned that if they take the more difficult ATAR subjects, they may get a D and that may disqualify them,” Buti said.
“Therefore, they may go for the easier option of a general subject. The School Curriculum and Standards Authority is looking at how it can be changed to reduce the disincentive on that aspect.
“This is an issue that we cannot turn around overnight.”
Buti said he was hopeful a report looking into changes to the senior secondary system could help address some of the retention challenges.
Recommendations in the draft report included enabling more VET qualifications to contribute to ATAR, in line with other jurisdictions.
But despite the worry, the number of students sitting four or more ATAR examinations has increased slightly on last year’s figure – from 10,454 to 10,686 – even though the number sitting at least one ATAR exam dropped to less than half the cohort for the first time.
A School Curriculum and Standards Authority spokeswoman said students may choose to take one to three ATAR courses even though it would not give them an ATAR.
She said students could then enrol in a general course, VET qualification or an endorsed program that may “provide targeted skills and knowledge that support their learning style and immediate interests and needs as they plan for life beyond school.”
The WACE integrated science course has recorded the biggest increase in the number of students enrolled this year compared to 2023, followed by aviation and marine and maritime studies.
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