'I'm disappointed': Education Minister takes aim at WA universities sticking to 'COVID-19' online learning models

Education Minister Sue Ellery has called out WA universities for hiding behind the excuse of COVID-19, labelling the push to online learning a "cost-saving measure more than a safety measure".

Year 12 students who this week learned their ATAR results after a year of studying during a pandemic now face more online learning in 2021 at three of the state's four public universities.

Education Minister Sue Ellery at the Governor's House for the Beazley medal presentations for 2020.Credit: Aja Styles

"I'm disappointed at the extent of online learning," Ms Ellery said.

"There's a whole thing that goes with the university culture and that is about the exchange and sitting around in the coffee shops and the libraries so it is a little bit disappointing to me that there's a greater focus online.

"The reason given has been COVID but actually you can deliver large-scale lectures safely and ... universities haven't done that."

She said she had expressed her disappointment to the universities, with Edith Cowan University being the only state public institute to have face-to-face learning as per usual.

"We need to call it for what it is, if it is about saving dollars let's describe it as that, let's not call it a COVID measure when it's not," Ms Ellery said.

The University of WA was expected to move back to predominently face-to-face learning in 2021, but Curtin University less so. Murdoch University was transitioning to blended online learning permanently by 2022.

For those who didn't perform as well as they hoped this year, Ms Ellery reassured students: "There's always more than one way to get where you want to go."

Ms Ellery was at the Govenor's House presentation of the prestigious Beazley medals to two year 12 students.

Christ Church Grammar School student Josh Green won the Beazley Medal in Western Australian Certificate of Education for the highest examination marks across five ATAR courses in year 12.

Wesley College student Luke de Laeter has been awarded the Beazley Medal for Vocational Education and Training.

Josh, whose passion has shifted from medicine to astrophysics, said he wasn't the Dux of his school and "was competing with some very smart people at the school".

In terms of early offers into university, he said he has been juggling between staying in Perth and moving to Melbourne.

"Melbourne University is a very academically prolific university and probably more recognised than universities like UWA, but at the same time Western Australia as a state I really love," he said.

"I got into surfing this year and WA is the state for that … and my life is really established here so it’s been difficult to choose."

Luke said he was dyslexic so he always knew the traditional study stream wasn't for him.

He launched his first honey business at the age of 14 and will be progress his entrepreneurial skills next year with the launch of online educational incursions to his bee farm in Jarrahdale.

To students like him, he says VET and ATAR are equal in what they can achieve.

"If you find your passion and find your career, you'll find your pathway," he said.