HSC result 2016: Girls dominate list of high achievers

FULL LIST: GIRLS have again dominated the list of HSC high achievers but boys are closing fast. Last year the girls accounted for 70 per cent of the first-in-course awards — but this year their lead was cut to just 57 per cent.

Maya Chambros and her sister Julia Chambros. Maya came first in the HSC in Polish last year and this year Julia came first in HSC Polish. Picture: Richard Dobson

• THE 2016 HSC ALL-ROUND ACHIEVERS LIST (PDF)
• DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVERS (PDF)

GIRLS have again dominated the list of HSC high achievers this year, although boys are closing fast.

Last year the girls accounted for 70 per cent of the first-in-course awards — but this year their lead was cut to just 57 per cent.

And younger students are also coming out on top, — with 15 taking out the top gongs for HSC subjects even though they haven’t yet finished school.

Half of the six students who came top in mathematics were not in Year 12, including Year 10 student Matthew Winfred, who only recently had his 16th birthday.

Eryn Button from Nowra High School came first in NSW for dance. Picture: Richard Dobson

Eryn Button from Nowra High School was shocked to find out that she was among the topscoring dance students.

“I didn’t think I was good enough for dance so I kind of pushed that aside, but now I’m reconsidering it,” she said yesterday. “But I have always wanted to study business at university so that is where my priority is now. I started dancing at four, but had to ­reduce my hours to focus on school and my studies.”

Blue Mountains Grammar Year 11 student Julia Chabros managed to top Polish Continuers — a feat her sister achieved last year — despite having to travel to a different school to take the language subject.

Top of the class. The students who achieved first place in a 2016 HSC course.

“She is better because she was able to do it in Year 11 and top the subject whereas I was in Year 12,” older sister Maya, 19, said.

Julia said doing the subject a year earlier gave her an advantage. “It means I will do better in my HSC overall,” she said.

Non-government schools received 40 first-in-course awards, compared with 34 government schools. Sydney Grammar School received the highest number with seven, followed by Fort St High School and James Ruse Agricultural High School, which each received four certificates.