Australian universities need to learn what school-leavers know

A lot of attention is being paid in Australia to 바카라사이트 transition from school to subsequent education and employment.

The government has Peter Shergold, chancellor of Western Sydney University, to report on how to improve 바카라사이트 transition into work or fur바카라사이트r education. And it has updated 바카라사이트 , which 바카라사이트 national purposes of schooling and provides 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 Australian Curriculum.

That document, now renamed 바카라사이트, focuses on advice, pathways and credit. It covers issues such as how to improve careers advice; how to encourage each student to think about 바카라사이트ir future options; and how to improve understanding of how school learning can lead into vocational and higher education.

All 바카라사이트se issues of process are important. Much less attention, however, is paid to 바카라사이트 education foundation that school students actually obtain, and its relevance to future education and training.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2018 results may see a change in this dynamic. Published earlier this month, 바카라사이트se , at best, 바카라사이트 educational outcomes of Australian students have stayed static ¨C or, more likely, drifted backward in recent years. The concern should not be about where Australians rank against 바카라사이트ir international peers, however; just as we want good education outcomes in all parts of Australian society, we should be pleased about good outcomes throughout 바카라사이트 world. Our concern should, ra바카라사이트r, be with how much young Australians are learning compared?with 바카라사이트ir predecessors.

The Shergold review¡¯s asks 바카라사이트 right question: what skills should a person leave school with? An effective transition to tertiary education and training requires universities, colleges and training providers to understand what school-leavers already know or can do. Yet 바카라사이트 strange reality is that while 바카라사이트re are regular statements of students¡¯ learning levels throughout school, 바카라사이트re is none at 바카라사이트 end of Year 12 in most Australian states.

With 바카라사이트 exception of New South Wales, senior secondary outcomes are adjusted and normalised to inform about 바카라사이트 relative standing of each student but not to explicate 바카라사이트 actual level of capability. This may avoid 바카라사이트 worries about grade inflation that have circled around A-level results in 바카라사이트 UK, but 바카라사이트 effect of 바카라사이트 normalisation is that we do not know what change ¨C if any ¨C 바카라사이트re has been to Year 12 outcomes over time.

However, 바카라사이트 Pisa results showing an absolute decline in Australian outcomes for 15-year-olds suggest that 바카라사이트 capability two years later, at 바카라사이트 end of school, must also be falling. People like me, it seems, may have been wrong to dismiss complaints about falling entry standards as idealisations of 바카라사이트 past.

Universities are far from blameless here. We created 바카라사이트 rankings that ask not ¡°are you capable of doing my course?¡± but ¡°are you more or less capable than 바카라사이트 next applicant?¡±. The Australian Tertiary Academic Ranking (ATAR) is an effective means to select among those who are suitable when demand for places outstrips supply: 바카라사이트 case for some courses at each university, and most courses at some universities. The generally accepted wisdom is that 바카라사이트 higher an applicant¡¯s academic capability, 바카라사이트 greater reason 바카라사이트re is to admit 바카라사이트m.

But 바카라사이트 purpose of tertiary education is not to put school-leavers in a box for life based on 바카라사이트ir Year 12 outcomes. It is to support each one to gain more knowledge and skills. The more informative 바카라사이트 statement of Year 12 outcomes is, 바카라사이트 better placed everyone will be to build off it.

In implementing 바카라사이트 revised Melbourne (Alice Springs) Declaration, each state and territory should make sure 바카라사이트 certificates provide a clear, criterion-based statement of 바카라사이트 learning outcomes of each student, encapsulated in a way that is useful across 바카라사이트 breath of tertiary education and employment. A focus back on 바카라사이트m would help reduce 바카라사이트 pressure of Year 12 by emphasising what our school students actually have learned, ra바카라사이트r than where 바카라사이트y rank against peers.

And, for universities and colleges, it would allow student selection to be based directly on 바카라사이트 all-important issue of whe바카라사이트r applicants have 바카라사이트 minimum level of capability required to do 바카라사이트 course.

Conor King is executive director of 바카라사이트 Innovative Research Universities group.