Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has laid out the plan for a very different-looking Year 12 year, which will now see end of year exams pushed back until at least December, possibly extending into 2021.
Victoria has been able to take some time to formulate a plan for how schooling will operate under coronavirus shutdowns, thanks to the fortuitously-timed Term 1 holidays which began right as the social movement restrictions were implemented.
This morning, the Premier unveiled how the restructured school year will look, with a particular focus on how things will pan out for the current class of Year 12 students.
The Premier remained outwardly optimistic that Year 12s will be able to complete their studies this year in full, despite the pandemic, and that there will be no need for an extra Year 13 to be tacked on in 2021.
When school resumes next week, Premier Andrews asserted all students will be learning at home wherever possible. Those students who cannot ordinarily access online learning will be given laptops and free internet access as part of this transition.
For Year 12 students, the structure of their VCE will be modified to accommodate the extra challenges that pandemic conditions pose. Primarily, this will involve a reduction in school-based assessments, allowing students more time to adjust to flexible learning conditions.
Additionally, Andrews revealed that the GAT test will be moved from June, and will now take place in either October or November instead. Beyond that, Year 12 end of year exams have now been delayed until December at the absolute earliest.
As a result of these decisions, Universities will be asked to push back the start of their 2021 academic years in order to take the various coronavirus-related delays to Year 12 into account.
Speaking to media this morning, Premier Andrews moved to assuage any fears of students potentially having to repeat a year by stating “We’re not about years 13 or people repeating. We think that we can get this done. As soon as we can provide more detail to our Year 12 cohort, and indeed, all students and their families, of course, we will.
“But (the) rest of Year 12, just like school for every student on day one of term two, is going to be different. It’s going to look different, it’s going to unfold in a different way,” he said.
Victorian Education Minister James Merlino reiterated that stance, adding that while December is the current goal for end of year exams, there are plans in place to run them in early 2021 if additional delays to the school year occur.
“Plan B could include exams in early part of next year could include deriving the ATAR by looking at the GAT test, school-based assessment and year 11 work,” he said. “Our aim is to have Year 12 exams in December but we do have a plan B if we need to go there. There will be no year 13.”
Term 2 in Victoria will start next week as-scheduled.
