By Andrew Mackinnon

Secondary school students should no longer apply for places at university before they finish their last year of school, being Year 12 in secondary school.  It is completely unrealistic for students to be expected to know what they want to study at university before they have even finished Year 12.  Applying for places at university before they finish Year 12 places additional, unwelcome pressure on them at a time when they are already under a lot of pressure from studying for their final examinations in Year 12.  Applying for a place at university before they finish Year 12 also psychologically commits them to further study at university, often commencing in the following year, at a time when they have almost finished thirteen years of school under the current school system, including the year of kindergarten.  It is grossly unfair to place a cultural expectation on secondary school students in Year 12 of further study at university, often commencing in the following year, when they have almost finished a marathon run of thirteen years of school under the current school system.

Under the current school system, many of the students who apply for a place at university while they are in their last year of school, being Year 12 in secondary school, do so not because they actually want to attend university in the year following Year 12, but because they feel pressured to conform to an expectation placed on them by their school and their parents to apply for a place at university while they are in Year 12.  It is very important that students in their last year of school, being Year 12, are relieved of this expectation and pressure that has been unreasonably and unfairly placed upon them.

Secondary school leavers should be prohibited from attending university in the year following their last year of school, being Year 12 in secondary school.

This would provide secondary school leavers with opportunities to do things unrelated to study during the year (or years, if they so choose) between finishing Year 12 in secondary school and commencing study at university, if they choose to attend university.  After all, they will have spent thirteen years from kindergarten to Year 12 at school under the current school system, so it is important for them to spend at least one year away from study for the sake of their emotional, psychological and physiological health and wellbeing.

Secondary school leavers are notified of their final results for Year 12 in secondary school in December of Year 12 or in the month following in January of the following year.

Secondary school leavers who want to attend university in the second year after Year 12 in secondary school could apply for places at university during the second half of the year following Year 12, which is several months after they have been notified of their final results for Year 12 in December of Year 12 or in the month following in January of the following year.  Importantly, this provides them with sufficient time to consider which university courses they want to apply for. Their first experience of life outside of school in the first year following their last year of school, being Year 12, will assist them in deciding which university courses they want to apply for.

Naturally, secondary school leavers do not have to attend university in the second year after their last year of school, being Year 12.  They can choose to attend it in later years or not attend it at all and embark on other forms of vocational training other than university courses or simply work, save and invest, which is the shortest route to prosperity.

For your consideration…

Proposed changes to secondary school that solve most of its problems…