The HSC or Higher School Certificate could soon be referred to as the Higher Stress Certificate.
The Federal Government announced it’s plans to introduce mandatory levels of numeracy on Tuesday, from 2020 onwards. The pressure will be on for parents, teachers and students alike.
Australia is far behind the rest of the world when it comes to numeracy and literacy levels, and, now the Government has come down hard on schools to perform better.
Some 70,000 NSW high school students will soon have to meet higher maths and English standards to receive their HSC. Based on last years HSC cohort of 2015, 3500 students wouldn’t have met the new standards.
From 2020 onwards, students across the state need to reach Year 9 levels of literacy and numeracy to be eligible for the graduating certificate. Students will have to achieve a minimum band eight out of 10 when they sit NAPLAN tests. Next year’s Year 9 cohort will be the first poor group who must reach the new standards.
Education Minister Adrian Piccoli said, “To get a HSC you’ve got to do more than turn up and write your name down on an exam paper. I make no apology that we’re setting a standard” (SMH, 2016).
The Federal Government will need to ensure appropriate funding and resources are given to teachers who will be given more pressure for their students to perform. One such stream includes NSW Gonski funding.
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