Kevin Donnelly: Take it from a former VCE examiner — Victoria’s exam bungle is easy to explain

It’s impossible to say students face a level playing field when ATARs are released on Thursday after widespread exam leaks. But take it from an ex-VCE examiner — there’s a clear reason behind the stuff-up.

The release of the year 12 VCE results on Thursday morning for thousands of Victorian students should be a very momentous day. After six years of secondary school, exam results are the culmination of years of effort, hard work and application.

Normally, there would be cause for celebration, especially given the impact of the ATAR score, which measures academic performance and is used to decide tertiary entrance. A difference of a few points with much-sought-after courses such as medicine, engineering and law makes all the difference.

A difference of a few points in final exams can make all the difference to ATAR results.

Instead of celebrating, though, year 12 students, especially those in the 65 subjects where leaks and dud questions abound, have been disadvantaged, as it’s impossible to say all students faced a level playing field.

The stuff-up with Victoria’s year 12 exam system is easy to explain. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, when I was a year 11 and 12 teacher, I was on the panel of examiners for year 12 English. Having practising teachers involved in setting the paper and paying them to mark the paper ensured the process had integrity.

Some years later, I was a board member of the Victorian Board of Studies responsible for setting and managing exams and the school curriculum. Those involved in leadership positions and employed to set and mark exams were academic experts and practising teachers.

Beginning with the Daniel Andrews’ Labor government, the body responsible for exams and the curriculum, the VCAA, has been taken over by educrats and political appointees instead of teachers and subject experts.

VCAA was taken over by educrats and political appointees under former premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

That’s the reason the process is corrupted and students are suffering.

US President Harry Truman made famous the statement “the buck stops here” by placing the sign on his White House desk. Not so in Victoria, where Education Minister Ben Carroll refuses to take responsibility for what is a long-term systemic problem.

Forget the Labor government’s self-praise about Victoria being the education state.

Based on the year 12 exam fiasco, the slogan should be the dumbed-down state.

Dr Kevin Donnelly taught for 18 years and is a senior fellow at the Australian Catholic University