Withdrawing from a unit 3 subject

[mohawkpod]

My school has a policy that all students must undertake 5 subjects.

I undertook unit 3/4 product design last year and obtained a score of 43. The course I want to get into requires an 85 ATAR and I have decided that focusing on the 4 subjects: methods, physics, english and vcd and dropping specialist maths is my best option going into yr 12. I am a very self directed learner.

Is it possible to bypass the school and formally withdraw from unit 3/4 specialist maths through another source?
The school has enrolled me in the subject against my will.
If this is not possible, could not attending the subject impact my ATAR?

Thanks, Tom.

[PhoenixxFire]

afaik you can't withdraw without going through your school.

If you really don't want to do it, your options are basically to:
1. Talk to your school, explain your reasons, attempt to convince them to let you withdraw, potentially go to someone higher up etc.
2. Tell them that you won't try in it and you may as well not do it etc.
3. Do the absolute bare minimum in the class and otherwise ignore it.
4. Don't do any of the work and act as if you're not enrolled in it.

Obviously some of those are better options than others, your school may try to impose penalties if you don't participate in the class. To VCAA, not being enrolled in the subject vs being enrolled and not attending won't make any difference to your atar.

[Jimmmy]

Gotta agree with Phoenix here.

Getting a literal 5 study score for Specialist shouldn't hurt your score if you're mentally happy to pretend like you're doing 4 subjects, and frankly even if you just tried in class and didn't do much homework for it at all, I reckon a 20 would be very feasible.

[mohawkpod]

Thanks so much for the replies, that answers my question.

I guess I'll just wait and see if there are any consequences for not attending.

All the best, Tom.