’Extraordinary change’: VCE scores and ATAR rankings to be given COVID-19 special consideration

Struggling Year 12 students will be assessed individually for their VCE scores and ATAR rankings, with the government outlining how changes will work.

Victorian Year 12 students will be assessed individually for their VCE scores and ATAR rankings, in sweeping changes that will take into account the difficult impact of COVID-19.

Deputy Premier James Merlino told reporters he understood there were many students and parents worried their end of year results would be adversely impacted.

“This year we‘re going to do things very, very differently. What we’re announcing today is that every single VCE student will be individually assessed and any adverse impacts from COVID-19 will be reflected in their ATAR ranking,” he said.

“This is quite an extraordinary change. So every single student will be individually assessed. We‘ll look at things such as school closures, we’ll look at things such as long absences. We’ll look at things, for example, such as significant increase in family responsibilities as a result of COVID-19 and we’ll of course consider the mental health and wellbeing of students during this period.

“This year is like no other, it is an unprecedented year and we need to support our students in an unprecedented way.”

Mr Merlino said the changes would help students go into their VCE exams, which start in early November, with confidence “knowing they will not be disadvantaged as a result of COVID-19”.

“This is a way that we can give every student and every parent of a VCE student the comfort and the confidence that their student will receive their final scores that take into account their individual circumstances. It puts them on a level playing field with every student across the state.”

Year 12 student Nathan Gunn has struggled due to COVID-19 this year, but is pleased the government will individually assess students. Picture: Ian Currie/NCA NewsWire

Year 12 student Nathan Gunn who called on the Victorian Government to cancel VCE exams with a petition that has gathered more than 4200 signatures said the announcement was a “huge win” for the class of 2020.

“I’m thrilled to be able to say that all young people in Year 12 will finally be fairly assessed, and we can all have the opportunity to perform as well as we deserve to,” the Eltham High School student said.

“It’s great to see the Government placing mental health and individual student needs at the forefront of its decisions.”

Gunn had previously said he and his classmates had been burdened with the effects of COVID-19 and remote learning and to do exams later in the year would be “a major stress”.

“Prior to COVID-19, there was so much stress about year 12 – it was this one-size-fits-all approach – but the whole year has been thrown into disarray.”

Zoe Thomas says boarding school students have suffered particularly from the COVID-19 pandemic.

BOARDING STUDENTS FACE ‘COMPLEX’ ISSUES

A Year 12 student at a regional Victorian boarding school has highlighted the challenges she has faced this year as COVID-19 restricted her from travelling to see her family in Western Australia.

Zoe Thomas, a student at Ballarat Grammar, said she had only had seven weeks of face-to-face learning this year.

“Boarder students rely on going to school and having face-to-face learning,” the 17-year-old said.

“Many of us go home and don’t have decent Wi-Fi because we’re living on a farm or in a remote location.

“This year has just been a constant series of issues. I’ve had to make some of the toughest decisions of my life this year.”

Zoe Thomas will stay at one of her teacher’s homes in Ballarat as she studies for VCE exams, before she returns to her family in WA.

Independent Schools Victoria chief executive Michelle Green said COVID-19 had created “particularly complex issues” for boarding schools.

“Students and staff in boarding schools have faced particular difficulties, on top of the challenges that all schools have faced as a result of COVID-19,” she said.

“Some boarders come from overseas, others come from interstate, so there have been quarantine issues.

“There have been issues of social distancing, followed by the introduction of remote learning at other schools.

“Boarding schools have had to navigate their way through multiple layers of government and regulations – some of these issues are federal responsibilities, others are state matters.”

Thomas welcomed the State Government’s latest announcement on special consideration.

“I am really happy that everyone will be individually assessed, it ensures that everyone who has struggled will be recognised,” she said.

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Originally published as ’Extraordinary change’: VCE scores and ATAR rankings to be given COVID-19 special consideration