Teachers, schools condemn new SACE

SCHOOL leaders and teachers have launched a scathing attack on South Australia’s new high school certificate.
Submissions to an independent review of the SACE say it does not deliver the maths skills needed for most jobs, has cut the number of language students and reduces learning time.

City and western suburbs schools and associations representing maths, language and vocational education teachers have made the criticisms, saying the new SACE has lowered standards and increased pressure on students.

In submissions seen by The Advertiser, they say the revamped Year 12 program’s “success for all” mantra is holding back high-achieving students.

The review’s public consultation process closes at the end of this week and is expected to attract more submissions from schools in the public, Catholic and Independent sectors, as well as from parents and students.

The submissions seen by The Advertiser express concerns that the SACE does not prepare students to be competitive in an increasingly global labour market due to a decline in language studies, gives students less time to learn the same amount of information and has led to “little or no improvement in learning”.

The Modern Language Teachers Association of SA points to stark falls in the number of schools offering language programs and the number of students studying languages.

Trade school teachers have criticised a requirement that students need only complete a minimum of 10 maths credits, which they say will not impart “the numeracy skills to succeed in most levels of employment”.

A submission on behalf of more than 80 teachers from the Mathematical Association of SA warns that students may begin choosing easier subjects to gain a higher tertiary entrance score and ignore pure mathematics courses.

Teachers are “exhausted” by greater workloads, are unclear about marking standards and feel the moderating process is not transparent.

The majority of the submissions want the compulsory personal learning plan and research project subjects made optional.

The class of 2011 was the first to complete the revamped SACE, which introduced the research project to replace a fifth subject in Year 12.

It also dropped the number of Year 11 subjects from six to five.

In mid-February the government announced former senior public servant Bill Cossey would head an independent panel reviewing the SACE.

The body representing parents of students in public schools is also in the process of making a submission to the panel.

SA Association of State School Organisations director David Knuckey said parents wanted to see more core skills in the SACE.

“They’re looking at their children, concerned about their skills, seeing them do less subjects and instead, like one student, doing a project on their favourite guitarist,” he said.

Education Minister Grace Portolesi said she welcomed the “contributions and interest” of teachers, students, parents and the wider community.

She said the independent panel would consider the submissions and produce an evaluation report, after which she would comment further.

Opposition education spokesman David Pisoni said budget figures showed the “out of touch” government had spent at least $70 million developing the new SACE.