HSC review: Major overhaul of the HSC to include a mandatory pass mark, a crackdown on cheating and syllabus changes

HSC students will have to achieve a pass mark in numeracy and literacy before they are awarded the world class credential under the biggest overhaul of the end-of-school exam in 17 years.

Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli with year 12 chemistry students Tanvi Kher and Nilakshi Perera. Picture: Dylan Robinson

STUDENTS must achieve a pass mark in numeracy and literacy ­before they are awarded the HSC, in the biggest overhaul of the end-of-school exam in 17 years.

The changes affecting more than 70,000 HSC students also ­include a crackdown on cheating, a new science extension course and fewer and fairer assessment tasks.

Students will be required to demonstrate they meet minimum standards in the core subjects ­before they can receive the HSC. School leavers in 2020 will be the first group to reach the benchmark.

Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli has announced the HSC shake up.. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Cherrybrook Technology High School students. Picture: Dylan Robinson

To be guaranteed of receiving the HSC, students will be given ­opportunities from Year 9 to Year 12 to show they meet the new standard — by scoring at least into Band 8, the third-highest Naplan level for Year 9. Year 9 students next year will be the first to be measured for the standard when they sit the Naplan tests.

Students who fall short of the standard by the end of Year 12 will not receive the HSC. Instead they will be awarded the Record of School Achievement (RoSA).

The tough new rules follow plummeting performances by Australian teens in critical subjects such as reading, mathematics and science. A report by the Australian Council for Educational Research found the declining achievement level is so serious it could affect the nation’s ability to compete globally for the next 50 years.

Education Minister Adrian Piccoli, announcing the overhaul at Cherrybrook Technology High School yesterday, said he did not want the HSC to be just “a ribbon for turning up”.

He said the reforms “responded to feedback from parents, educators, business and the community about preparing students for 21st century careers” with the NSW Business Chamber labelling the changes a “victory for young ­people and their employability”. “Young people need to know how to read, write and problem solve to a decent standard if they’re to contribute in the workplace,” chamber CEO Stephen Cartwright said.

Cherrybrook Technology High School principal Gary Johnson said he believed the “vast bulk” of students would reach the minimum standard for the HSC — set to a functional level of literacy and numeracy needed in everyday life.

“My staff and students are very positive about the changes, the students are very excited about the opportunity to work in the extension area of science,” he said.

The changes were developed by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW. BOSTES president Tom Alegounarias said there were no new ­requirements for this year’s HSC students and BOSTES would work with schools and teachers to prepare students for future changes.