VCE students asked to assess how the coronavirus pandemic has affected their learning
A form being issued to VCE students will give them the chance to detail how the coronavirus pandemic has affected their education. Here’s how the information will be used.
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VCE students have been asked to assess how the covid pandemic has affected their learning, home life and wellbeing.
Their views will be taken into account by teachers who will help with the moderation of each students’ marks.
Until now, students have not been expected to provide any evidence of their own disadvantage, leaving it up to teachers to tell the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority how their scores been impacted by covid, the bushfires or both.
The VCAA has just released the student statement which asks students to tick yes to nine types of disadvantage they have experienced.
The categories include things like: “My family/household is experiencing financial hardship.” and “My physical and/or mental health and/or wellbeing has been directly affected.”
Students can rank each from one to three in terms of seriousness, with number three reserved for those who found it hard to focus on learning and couldn’t complete all their work.
Students will not be asked to provide any external evidence of their claims, but schools can ask for clarification if needed.
The form says the purpose of the statement is for students “to tell your school how you have been affected”.
“It is important to understand that the level and/or number of boxes ticked does not equate to a change in your study score. This information will complement what your teacher and your school already know about you.”
Julie Podbury, president of the Australian Principals’ Federation, said the statement “would add to the hundreds of hours of work already being done in schools to assess the level of disadvantage suffered by students”.
“School teachers and welfare staff know their students well and are fully aware of any extraneous circumstances.”
But she said there might be some instances where students had new information.
The new statement is part of the Consideration of Educational Disadvantage process announced by the VCAA on August 7. That process seeks to allow for the way individual students may have been affected by disruptions to their learning.
A Department of Education spokesman said students were not required to complete the form.
“Students can choose to complete the form if they feel doing so may help their school better understand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their learning. This optional form provides an opportunity for student voice to be heard in the new process,” he said.
On Wednesday, students sat the General Achievement Test, which will be used by schools to help moderate their school-based and external scores. The first all-in English exam is on Tuesday, November 10.