HSC 2022: 25pc of HSC students study PE, but ancient history enrolment plummets

A quarter of all HSC students this year studied physical education, while ancient history enrolment numbers have plummeted. Read why.

The number of students studying ancient history in the HSC almost halved over the past decade, while one in four Year 12 students are now studying physical education as teenage boys become increasingly obsessed with bulking up at the gym.

The drop in students studying ancient history prompted university academics to say the general knowledge of those enrolling in tertiary education is lacking compared to students a decade ago.

NSW Education Standards Authority statistics show ancient history enrolments for the HSC has slumped to just 6530 this year, compared to 12,298 students in 2011.

Campion College dean Luciano Boschiero said students no longer saw the subject as beneficial to career prospects.

“With students entering higher ed, they don’t quite have the same depth and breadth of knowledge of ancient and modern history as well as literature and geography,” he said.

Personal trainer Dylan Rivier says more focus on personal fitness has led to a boom in PDHPE students. Picture: Richard Dobson

“Fewer students have that broader knowledge than what we used to see because they do not see it as advantageous to their long-term goals.

“This is a problem in our education system and it is not really spoken about.

“The fundamental problem is from a very early age, they’re told they need to think about what could get them a job.”

Mr Boschiero said despite not having any direct career benefit for students unless they wanted to be a classics scholar, ancient history helped pupils learn critical thinking.

“In something like ancient history, aside from the lessons about the past, they are also moral stories and lessons from antiquities about the decisions and choices people make,” he said.

“It was a 20th Century philosopher who said we’re doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past, we’re doomed to repeat them … if we don’t read them, we forget them’.”

But the popularity of personal development, health and physical education has surged, with 16,716 pupils studying it this year — almost one in four 2022 HSC students.

Sydney personal trainer Dylan Rivier was not surprised by the rise in the popularity of PDHPE in schools because more young people were going to the gym.

“I am seeing a heap more teenage boys in the gym now than ever before, they’re school-aged kids,” he said.

“I certainly wouldn’t have had the guts or gumption to join a commercial gym and go and work out when I was 16 … these guys are more exposed to workout programs, YouTube and social media.”

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