ATAR results Qld: Top schools say they will release results to stay ‘accountable’

The principals of some of Queensland’s top schools have pledged to reveal their academic results to parents, despite controversial government-backed moves to keep them secret.

Queensland’s top school principals have committed to continue publicly releasing their ATAR and academic results to parents, despite controversial moves to keep comprehensive school information under wraps.

As reported by The Courier-Mail, the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority has this year dumped both the annual Year 12 outcomes and NAPLAN outcome reports, which detailed every school’s academic results.

The QCAA’s decision has the backing of Education Minister Grace Grace.

But the heads of the state’s top schools have said they intend to remain “transparent” and “accountable”, and have pledged they will continue to publicly release their academic results publicly.

Brisbane Girls Grammar School principal Jacinda Euler told The Courier-Mail the school published their 2020 ATAR results “as a record of the Year 12 students’ six years of academic study, to celebrate their achievement and recognise the expertise and care of their teachers”.

“It is also important information for our families - current and prospective - to understand the level of student achievement at our school,” she said.

Brisbane Girls Grammar School principal Jacinda Euler. Pic: Supplied.

Brisbane Grammar School headmaster Anthony Micallef said the school had “always reported academic outcomes to our community transparently”.

“It’s a measure of accountability we place on ourselves,” he said.

But Mr Micallef also said the school “understands and supports the QCAA’s decisions around the publication of results”.

“The real benefits in results data – whether it be QCE, ATAR or NAPLAN, are to be found in using the data directly to assist out students in their learning and to improve Brisbane Grammar’s School’s curriculum and teaching practices,” he said.

Anglican Church Grammar School headmaster Dr Alan Campbell said he felt it was important for current and prospective parents to know about “this essential element of student outcomes and progress”

“I have no doubt that parents are keen to know about the academic outcomes and progress of students in schools, and we know this features prominently in parents’ thinking,” he said.

All principals agreed that academic results were an important, though not the only, factor for parents when choosing the right school for their child.

“At a time when Australia is understandably seeking improved academic and learning outcomes for students in all schools across all states and territories, it is important that we continue to discuss and explore both existing and new ways to openly report on the progress and achievements being made in primary and secondary education,” Dr Campbell said.

Dr Alan Campbell is the headmaster at Churchie. Pic: Supplied

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School principal Ros Curtis said academic results were consistently among the top three reasons for choosing their school – though usually not the first.

“The school strives to offer an excellent academic program led by quality professional teachers,” she said.

“It is part of our offering and value proposition as an independent school and by publishing our academic results, current and prospective families are assured that we are helping our students reach their academic goals.

“A focus on academic excellence is one of the school’s published strategic goals ... we demonstrate this by publishing our ATAR and NAPLAN results against state and national averages.”