HSC Stuff > New South Wales Education Discussion

If you had the power, how would you change the HSC?

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jenae.madden:

--- Quote from: Mada438 on April 13, 2018, 09:54:33 am ---After watching Jamons snapchat update, i felt inspired to make this thread.
If by some chance you had the power to, how would you change the way the HSC works and its culture?
Or would you completely tear it down and build a new system?

Keen to hear everyone's thoughts!

--- End quote ---


I know exactly what I would change, and I don't know how but I would try to equalise the advantage of all schools. I go to one of the worst ranked schools, I full mean in the bottom ten, and it makes it so damn hard to do well. At the low ranked schools we get worse teachers, worse facilities, worse textbooks (if any at all) and some teachers who have never taught the course before. It just feels like the HSC is crafted for those higher SES schools. How on earth is it fair that I am competing against students who maybe all their teacher's have HSC marked before? Or access to high speed internet? Or access to books and more experienced teachers than myself. Sure you can bring into play the bonus points we get but in my opinion I don't think they constitute the loss. The HSC really doesn't cater to those that are disadvantaged and I know it has been brought up but with the cohort dragging a class down, that honestly at my school will bring some kids down two entire bands.

In Mathematics we have been through about 4 teachers since year 11 and we had some shocking experiences, like one who honestly didn't know what a tangent was.

And loads of our teachers don't really understand how the HSC works, as in, the 50% internal 50% external. Because when you look it up, its not that simple you know they take your internal ranks not your actual score yada yada. But lots of teachers do truly think it is 50:50, and with many knowing how badly we do in the hsc try to make assessments easier to try and bring up the 50% for internals, yet I wish they would realise how detrimental that is to make kids think that the teachers easy marking and assessments reflects the HSC. I gives kids, and teachers false hope and ill preparation. I had to explain how the HSC works to both the head of maths and my careers adviser when they explained it completely wrong both brushed me off and told me it was straight 50:50.

Also I feel like this is longer than it should be, but my English/ext 1/ ext 2 teacher openly told me that she doesn't know how to teacher me anymore, saying I have outgrown her and how its difficult to teach someone with more english skills then herself. I guess many would take this as a compliment but I was angry. i want to be challenged by my teachers not told good job and it makes me angry because i know if I went to a better school, I would be directed in a way so that I could improve.

Its a crappy way to judge us all on a level playing when we don't have the same foundations.

Razeen25:

--- Quote from: jenae.madden on April 19, 2018, 09:32:08 am ---
I know exactly what I would change, and I don't know how but I would try to equalise the advantage of all schools. I go to one of the worst ranked schools, I full mean in the bottom ten, and it makes it so damn hard to do well. At the low ranked schools we get worse teachers, worse facilities, worse textbooks (if any at all) and some teachers who have never taught the course before. It just feels like the HSC is crafted for those higher SES schools. How on earth is it fair that I am competing against students who maybe all their teacher's have HSC marked before? Or access to high speed internet? Or access to books and more experienced teachers than myself. Sure you can bring into play the bonus points we get but in my opinion I don't think they constitute the loss. The HSC really doesn't cater to those that are disadvantaged and I know it has been brought up but with the cohort dragging a class down, that honestly at my school will bring some kids down two entire bands.

In Mathematics we have been through about 4 teachers since year 11 and we had some shocking experiences, like one who honestly didn't know what a tangent was.

And loads of our teachers don't really understand how the HSC works, as in, the 50% internal 50% external. Because when you look it up, its not that simple you know they take your internal ranks not your actual score yada yada. But lots of teachers do truly think it is 50:50, and with many knowing how badly we do in the hsc try to make assessments easier to try and bring up the 50% for internals, yet I wish they would realise how detrimental that is to make kids think that the teachers easy marking and assessments reflects the HSC. I gives kids, and teachers false hope and ill preparation. I had to explain how the HSC works to both the head of maths and my careers adviser when they explained it completely wrong both brushed me off and told me it was straight 50:50.

Also I feel like this is longer than it should be, but my English/ext 1/ ext 2 teacher openly told me that she doesn't know how to teacher me anymore, saying I have outgrown her and how its difficult to teach someone with more english skills then herself. I guess many would take this as a compliment but I was angry. i want to be challenged by my teachers not told good job and it makes me angry because i know if I went to a better school, I would be directed in a way so that I could improve.

Its a crappy way to judge us all on a level playing when we don't have the same foundations.

--- End quote ---

Reading this felt as if it poured all my struggles and depressions out into a single post. I think I relate with everything you've said here. As someone ALSO coming from one of the worst ranked schools (in fact so lowly ranked it doesn't MAKE the rankings), it actually hurts. Just seeing so many other people, especially most of my friends go to better schools with better facilities and teachers and resources makes me feel so helpless sometimes, like there's a voice saying "what's the point when I have to try so much harder". Also the fact that half my school burnt down in a fire a few years ago and so many of the already minimal resources were lost in that just makes it the epitome of 'horrible'. We have a small portable library. Also teachers who don't know how to control a class, let alone teach shouldn't exist in year 12 (Out of control classes in Year 12? It's a sad life.)

So yes, I agree. I wish the HSC made it so that no matter which school we went to, whether it be James Ruse, or whether it be St Clair High School (my school), every student had the same OPPORTUNITY to succeed and achieve as everyone else. Rant over lol.

jamonwindeyer:

--- Quote from: Razeen25 on April 21, 2018, 02:33:46 am ---So yes, I agree. I wish the HSC made it so that no matter which school we went to, whether it be James Ruse, or whether it be St Clair High School (my school), every student had the same OPPORTUNITY to succeed and achieve as everyone else. Rant over lol.

--- End quote ---

Really empathise with above - I think anyone who claims that every HSC student is on a totally equal playing field is kidding themselves.

That said, you guys attending lower ranked schools, that maybe don't have the same sorts of facilities - You can succeed!

I went to a school ranked in the 300's, definitely not one known for its academic success. I was lucky enough to have fantastic teachers who were so passionate about their students' success. However, whenever I went to careers fairs or whatever to chat about degrees with high ATAR cut-offs, no one took me seriously because I was from Western Sydney. But I worked really hard and proved them wrong!!

Your schools rank doesn't put any cap on your success - Of course though, inequity in resources is a different thing altogether. Teaching quality, the same - Though I think you'd find "less than effective" teachers in high ranked schools too - Usually, ineffective teachers are just lazy/not passionate about their work, and that can happen anywhere. It's a damn shame, but I think that's a much tougher problem to address.

In terms of resources though, I think there is a shift happening at the moment where people are realising that access to them shouldn't be a huge financial burden. Cue ATAR Notes, and cue lots of other initiatives all aimed at giving students easy and (where possible) free access to HSC resources. They are making it easier than ever to overcome the stereotypes and any inequities that may exist. It can absolutely be done, and just remember - Those who work hard will always end up more successful than the lazy ones, no matter the circumstance ;D

Joseph41:
Bump! ;D

Those who have gone through HSC recently or are doing so at the moment - what would you change? What's your stance on the system and how it works?

DrDusk:

--- Quote from: Joseph41 on August 21, 2019, 11:53:28 am ---Bump! ;D

Those who have gone through HSC recently or are doing so at the moment - what would you change? What's your stance on the system and how it works?

--- End quote ---

Did HSC last year and typically as most people would say, I would make English non compulsory. It should rather be called literature.

I would also change the Hsc Physics syllabus and actually let it involve calculus and no essay writing because it's useless how they put essays in it to appeal to students who don't have a good mathematical ability.

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