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REPORT OF

THE COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY INTO YEAR 12 EXAMINATIONS

IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

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D'J. Anders E.S. Barnes

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THE ENQUIRY INTO YEAR 12 EXAMINATIONS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

CHAlqv AN; MR. A, W. JONES 9TH FLOOR, EDUCATION CENTRE

SECRE r4;-1Y: f‘IP. C. H. FCRDER 31 FLINDERS STREET. ADELAIDE

TElEr:riONF.: 382 4322 BOX 1152 G.P.O. ADELAIDE 5001

20 November, 1978.

Dr. D.J. Hopgood, Minister of Education, Parliament House,

North Terrace,

ADELAIDE. S.A. 5000.

Dear Minister,

On the 24th November, 1977, you informed us that we had been appointed as a Committee of Enquiry into Year 12 Examinations in South Australia. We met for the first time on 21st December, 1977, and have continued to meet at least monthly.

In April 1978, Mr. D.H. Forder requested that he be relieved of the Secretaryship of the Committee, but has remained as a member of the Committee. Mr. D.J. Anders accepted the position of Secretary.

In our Report we have acknowledged help fro:Inman:1 sources but we wish to make special mention of Mr. Alan Pope, a half-time Release Scholar, who was made available to us as Assistant Secretary by the Director-General of Education. Without his help we would not have been able to meet your deadline of December 1978, for reporting to you.

Our Report is a unanimous one which, we believe, contains positive proposals for the betterment of Year 12 assessment and certification in accordance with our Terms of Reference.

We have pleasure in forwarding the Report for your consideration.

We are,

Yours sincerely,

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OF THE

COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY INTO YEAR 12 EXAMINATIONS IN

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

DECEMBER 1978

ISBN 0 7243 4889 1

Education Department of South Australia, 1978

Printed by D.J. Woolman, Government Printer, South Australia

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THE COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY INTO YEAR 12 EXAMINATIONS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

CHAIRMAN Mr. Albert Walter Jones, University Fellow,

University of New England.

MEMBERS Mr. Douglas John Anders, (Secretary) Executive Director,

S.A. Council for Educational Planning and Research.

Professor Eric Stephen Barnes Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Adelaide.

M . Douglas Highmoor Forder, Former Headmaster,

Westminster School.

Mr. William John Menz,

Deputy General Manager,

Arnott Motteram Menz Pty. Ltd.

Professor Eric William Mills,

Chairman, Public Examinations Board and Director, S.A. Institute of Technology.

Mr. Donald Norman Morley, Principal,

Thebarton East High School.

Mr. Maurice Aloysius O'Brien, Director of Curriculum,

Education Department of South Australia.

Dr. Carolyn Frances Steel, Deputy Director,

Sturt College of Advanced Education.

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R12 The Subject Committees shall be constituted by the Board on the recommendation of the Subject Approval Committee, with membership determined to meet the particular needs of different subjects, and where possible with a majority of school teachers, except that for subject committees for subjects in the Matriculation statute of either University, the University membership shall be approved by the Universities (1.33 (7), (8).

R13 A Subject Committee shall be chaired by a person elected by the committee. For any subject included in the Matriculation statutesof the universities, the Board shall appoint a Chief Examiner who shall be a member of the academic staff of one of the

universities, or a person approved by them (1.33(6)).

R14 Each Subject Committee of the Board shall be served by a full-time employee of the Board, skilled in evaluation and assessment (1.33(9).

R15 The Board shall have an Executive Director who shall be an employee of the Board appointed at such salary and conditions as the Board shall determine.

The status of the Executive Director shall be no less than that of Executive Officer, Grade 2 of the State Public Service (1.33(3)).

R16 The Board shall carry out the duties set out below and detailed in 1.34 and in the references below to chapters of this report.

(1) Conduct a Year 12 Examination annually.

(2) Provide candidates with certificates as soon as possible after the completion of the

examination.

(3) Provide the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre with the results of candidates in the form required by the tertiary institutions for selecting entrants.

(4) Encourage such bodies as the Education Department, subject associations, schools and other community groups to submit syllabuses for consideration by the Board's Committees to become approved subjects.

(5) Liaise with such bodies and offer assistance and advice in preparing syllabuses for

submission to the Subject Approval Committee.

(8)

3.

(6) Conduct, commission and publish research

into matters associated with Year 12 assessment and certification with a view to improving the system. (See 1.22, 1.23, 1.24, 5.58, 5.59 to 5.63, 5.70 to 5.78).

(7) Keep under continuous review the time of holding the Year 12 Examination; the percentage of

school assessment in the final result in the various subjects; the nature of subjects it is prepared to approve; and the scaling and grading of marks to serve better selection for both

tertiary entrance and employment (5.93, 4.10 to 4.11, 1.31, 1.23).

(8) Prepare a budget each year to advise the

Minister of the funds required to carry out its duties efficiently and effectively.

(9) Appoint triennially a Subject Approval Committee;

and appoint its Chairman from among members of the Board.

(10) Appoint annually Subject Committees.

(11) Provide an annual report to the Minister.

(12) Publicise the work of the Board and provide accurate and detailed information about its assessment procedures, its Year 12 syllabuses and the use to which its certificate and results are put. (See 1.23.)

R17 It shall not be the responsibility of the new authority to issue advisory syllabuses for years prior to Year 12 (1.11, 5.25).

R18 The Board shall have administrative, clerical and

professional staff to enable it to function effectively.

R19 These recommendations should be implemented along the lines suggested in 1.36.

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CHAPTER 1

FUTURE NEEDS FOR YEAR 12 ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION

Introduction

1.1

This Chapter 1 summarises the reasoning of the Committee in reaching the conclusions and recommendations which precede this chapter, under the heading 'Recommendations'. More detailed information and discussion of some issues are given in the following chapters 2 to 5.

Chapter 2 comments on our terms of reference and outlines the procedures adopted in the Enquiry. Chapter 3 gives the

historical background which naturally influenced our

deliberations on assessment and certification. Chapter 4 sets out the present situation of Year 12 assessment in South Australia and compares it and allied matters with the situation in the other Australian States and the A.C.T..

Chapter 5 is an analysis of a number of issues raised in submissions to the Enquiry and of matters the Committee felt were crucial to the formulation of our conclusions and

recommendations.

Underlying considerations

1.2 The deliberations of the Committee were made with the following matters in mind:

(1) Unemployment and under-employment may become a permanent feature of our society.

(2) The changing nature of employment will force employers to demand a, greater degree of general education from their employees than has been the case in the past.

(3) Retention rates to Year 12 will remain at their present level and may even increase slightly in the future.

(4) Society will recognise the benefits of completing

secondary education to the personal development of its members and to the general level of education in the community.

(5) The expected greater opportunity for entry and re-entry to secondary education and higher education later in life.

(6) There will be continuing competition for places in higher education, and consequently a need for a valid and

impartial assessment of suitability.

(7) Teachers require professional freedom, compatible with public accountability.

(8) Some students are disadvantaged by sex, race, socio- economic circumstances, physical disabilities, and country residence.

(9) It will be necessary to educate employers

in the

proper use of certificates in selecting future employees.

(10) Misconceptions concerning the assessing and certification

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5.

processes need to be dispelled by better communication between all interested parties.

(11) Population trends in South Australia, projected Year 12 enrolments and the number of adults likely to study

Year 12 subjects in the future all point to a continuing need for assessment and certification at this level.

(See 5.2 to 5.5.)

1.3 This summary of the Committee's investigations that led to our conclusions about the future needs for Year 12 assessment and certification is set out below under headings taken from the Terms of Reference given to us by the Minister of Education.

The Terms of Reference are shown in full in Chapter 2, 2.1.

THE SUITABILITY AND ADEQUACY OF PRESENT FORMS AND STANDARDS OF

ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION AT YEAR 12 LEVEL AS A PREPARATION FOR:

(a) THE VARIOUS FORMS OF POST-SECONDARY STUDY.

1.4 The present forms of assessment and certification are discussed in Chapter 4 (4.4 to 4.11) and the issues related to post- secondary study are dealt with in particular in Chapter 5 (5.70 to 5.78).

The great majority of submissions to the Enquiry indicated that the Matriculation examination and its courses were satisfactory, although capable of improvement, as a preparation and selection instrument for entry into universities in South Australia.

Its external nature and the reputation of the Public Examinations Board give it objectivity and impartiality.

Research (See Chapter 5, 5.70 to 5.78.) shows the

Matriculation examination to be as reliable, valid and predictive as any other instrument used for this purpose. It is

transportable interstate and overseas.

Changes in the Matriculation examination suggested in the submissions and considered by the Committee include:

(1) Widening the range of subjects available.

(2) Increasing the proportion of school assessment, thereby adding to the validity of the assessments while lessening the impact of the external examination on the school

curriculum.(See 4.10 to 4.11.)

(3) Elimination of supposed anomalies in grading in various subjects. (See 4.12 to 4.13, 4.16 to 4.22.)

(4) The addition of an assessment of the candidates' ability to use the English language, either through use of a compulsory English expression test, re- introduction of English as a compulsory subject, or by having a compulsory essay question in each subject examination.

1.5 For admission to other forms of post-secondary education, for which it was not constructed, the Matriculation

examination was considered to be less satisfactory. Its narrowness, lack of technical and commercial subjects and

testing of intellectual ability only and not other qualities of candidates such as speech and skill in communication were

raised. (See 4.27 to 4.32., 5.70 to 5.78.)

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1.6 As a qualification for entry to post-secondary institutions other than the universities, teachers generally considered the content and more particularly, the methods of teaching and learning used in the Secondary School Certificate courses, to be very suitable. However, all, including teachers, agreed that its lack of uniformity and lack of publicly perceived objectivity militated against its use for this purpose. It was difficult to compare candidates for entry who had taken the two different examinations. In the few cases where the South Australian Institute of Technology had used S.S.C. for 'Associationaand Colleges of Advanced

Education for entry qualifications, no generally acceptable basis of comparison with Matriculation examination results has been achieved.

1.7 The Department of Further Education gave us little evidence of the use of either certificate for entry from Year 12 to courses under its control.

THE SUITABILITY AND ADEQUACY OF PRESENT FORMS AND STANDARDS OF ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION FOR:

(b) POST-SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT

1.8 The use of Matriculation examination results by employers as criteria for job selection, for which the examination was not designed, was universally criticised by academics, parents, teachers and students. One major employer of clerks considered that Year 12 study of any kind added only minimally to the

general equipment of young people for such positions. Other employers give bonuses to matriculants and provide opportunity for employees to study at tertiary level. Not all employers are uninterested in the general education of their future employees even though specially interested in the skills they can bring to bear on their particular jobs. (See 4.33 to 4.40.) Many employers contend that the Matriculation

examination is the only one that ensures standards and has community support. This is particularly so among the smaller employers in the private sector who have not the resources to administer their own selection tests. (See 4.33 to 4.34.) 1.9 Schools generally contend that the Secondary School Certificate

courses have been developed to give students in Year 12 a better background for the world of work, the things that the enlightened employer says he wants from prospective employees - a broad education, ability to communicate orally and in

writing, a knowledge of community life, and discipline.

Teachers speak of the enormous potential of the Secondary School Certificate. Others, however, consider the Secondary School Certificate courses are 'dumping grounds' for the less able - 'watered-down' Matriculation courses. Employers clearly do not regard the Secondary School Certificate with great confidence, and where employers do accept the Secondary School Certificate qualifications, it is usually because of

good relations built up between employers and particular schools (See 4.5, 5.45.)

1. See 1.20 for definition of 'Association' and 'Registration'.

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7.

1.10 From the evidence set out particularly in Chapters 4 and 5 neither the Secondary School Certificate nor the Matriculation examination performs the dual task of tertiary admission and certification for employment purposes adequately. There is much confusion in the market place, some poor counselling in the schools and undue parental pressure on students caused by the existence of a dual system of certification. Hence, we have recommended that one Year 12 Certificate, based on a

selection from a wide range of subjects including those subjects that satisfy the Matriculation statutes of each of the

universities, be issued by an independent, single authority.

THE COMMITTEE SHOULD CONSIDER THE INFLUENCE THAT YEAR 12 CERTIFICATES HAVE ON SELECTION PROCEDURES FOR STUDENTS TO ENTER YEAR 12

1.11 Few submissions made any comment on this term of reference, but the Education Department in its submission stated that the influence of the present Matriculation examination goes beyond an influence on selection procedures for students to enter Year 12. Because it places value on certain aspects of education and since it has a high status its influence upon the whole secondary curriculum is quite profound. The

Department's submission goes on to say that this influence becomes intense and sharply focused at the end of Year 10, and that further filtering and selection, often by examinations replicating the structures and content of Matriculation examinations, occurs at the end of Year 11.

This firmly stated influence of the Matriculation examination on the total school curriculum was supported by the impressions gained by some members of the Committee from discussions with officers of the Education Department, secondary school

principals, teachers and others. These impressions are set out in Chapter 5 under the headings "The Influence of the Matriculation examination on the Lower School Curriculum"

and "Selection Procedures for Students' Entry into Year 12".

It can be seen in Chapter 5 that the Committee did consider these issues carefully and in some detail. We are also pleased to note that these restraining influences of Matriculation

requirements can be avoided. Some of the submissions

particularly from the newer high schools and from independent schools with alternative courses indicated that considerable variety and vitality in the junior school curriculum is

evident since the elimination of the Intermediate and Leaving examinations.

It was acknowledged, too, in our discussions and in submissions, that the influence of the Matriculation examination on early secondary schooling is greatest in the cumulative subjects such as mathematics and foreign languages, but minimal in other arts-type subjects until Year 11; indeed, several Matriculation subjects can be begun in Year 12.

The Committee considers that not all the blame for this

influence in the lower school can be placed on the Matriculation examination itself; the value that teachers, parents and

society at large place on matriculation is shown in Chapter 5 to be a very significant factor influencing the school's total curriculum.

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We believe that this adverse effect of the Matriculation examination can be avoided and that the recommendations that we have made can alleViate it. To emphasize our belief that Year 12 courses and assessment should be a culmination of the curriculum that the school has provided in Years 8 to 11 and not a determinant of that curriculum, we recommend that it should not be the responsibility of the proposed new authority to issue advisory syllabuses for Year 11 as the present P.E.B.

does.

1.12 We would suggest that a selection procedure to enter Year 12 is an entirely professional matter which a school or system, in consultation with parents and students, should properly decide for itself. With the single Year 12 Certificate that we propose, and the greater public acceptability likely to be accorded it, the decisions relating to their particular needs for further education or entry to employment will be less traumatic for teacher and student. Indeed, it should reduce the present parental pressure on students to choose the more prestigious subjects of the past. The directing of students into unsuitable subjects just because it will enhance their chance of matriculation, rather than directing them into subjects that will make them better-educated persons should be reduced if not entirely eliminated.

1.13 It may be that the extended range of subjects approved by the proposed authority still will not meet the needs of some

students who wish to attend secondary school in Year 12 while waiting for employment or for some other reason. We believe that a Year 12 School Leaver Statement should be provided for such students but that is a matter that does not come within our terms of reference.

1.14 Several submissions deplored the low level of literacy of students who had in fact gained Year 12 Certification. The Committee is anxious that this criticism be not aimed at the

proposed Year 12 Certificate. Indeed, the new arrangements should provide opportunity for provision of courses to develop candidates' ability to use the English language.

If, as is the case in the existing Matriculation examination and Secondary School Certificate, English is not a compulsory

subject in a new Year 12 Certificate Examination, then schools will need to ensure that all entrants to Year 12 courses of study have a level of competence in the English language or undertake its study in Year 12. This may mean that some form of English should be a compulsory part of the curriculum until the end of Year 11.

While the Committee realises that curriculum for Years 8 to 11 is entirely the responsibility of the schools, such an

arrangement seems to the Committee to be an essential part of any secondary education program for children of all ranges of ability.

The Committee deliberated for a long time over the place of English in Year 12 examinations and obtained information on the problem from a variety of sources. (See 5.59 to 5.63.)

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9.

-While the Committee hopes that the great majority of the students will study a course of English in Year 12, we have refrained from recommending it as a compulsory component in a Year 12 certificate. Our terms of reference do not ask us to consider curriculum, and in any event we wish the proposed Board to issue a certificate to a candidate for any Year 12 subject assessed by the Board without restriction of any kind.

TO EXAMINE AND REPORT ON THE FUTURE NEEDS FOR:

(a) CERTIFICATION BY THE PUBLIC EXAMINATION BOARD AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AT YEAR 12 LEVEL.

1.15 The Committee was left in no doubt that conditions have changed in South Australia since the last revision of Matriculation and indeed since the introduction of the Secondary School Certificate. There are social pressures on the schools to accept responsibility for vocational training, work experience, community service, and training

for leisure time and for healthy living in a modern technological world, as well as for their prime task of intellectual

development. Teachers are better educated, more professional and have been given greater scope to prepare school courses that develop students as individuals besides assisting to prepare them for employment and further education.

Parents, today, are concerned with the more immediate goal of education, namely, a passport to suitable employment, and employers are demanding higher standards of achievement for the available jobs. The tertiary institutions have increased in number, but there are still severe quotas in major areas of study, and all who apply for entry, despite a falling population in the relevant age groups, cannot get their

first choice of courses and institutions. Retention to Year 12 has increased greatly: consequently a greater variety of students are taking Matriculation courses which may not suit them.

Despite some small changes, the external examination conducted by the Public Examinations Board for the universities has

continued as though the composition of the Year 12 group had not changed, and as though the only task of the school was an academic one to prepare for entry to the universities. The Education Department through its schools attempted to provide for the new Year 12 clientele by introducing the Secondary School Certificate which allowed schools to devise courses within guidelines and which were externally moderated.

However, the prestige of the Public Examinations Board examination and the university-backed courses caused these Secondary School Certificate courses to be considered as inferior not only by most students, teachers and parents but also by employers.

1.16 This setting indicates the need for revised certification at Year 12.

(1) All tertiary institutions 'for selecting their intake'

need an instrument which is seen to be impartial, objective, and pitched at an academic level that assures adequate

preparation for disciplines that are to be studied,

together with a reasonably broad background of knowledge in the arts and sciences. (See 4.26 to 4.32.)

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10.

The universities do not impose faculty prerequisites and it is hoped that this policy will remain. (See 5.12 to 5.13.)

(2) The various tertiary institutions have different opinions on the kinds of secondary school preparation required for students to meet the demands of their tertiary courses.

Consequently some would prefer more optional subjects to be available for assessment than exist at present in the traditional disciplines examined by the P.E.B.

(3) The schools require a certificate attesting the completion of a sound secondary education which contains some input based on the professional judgement of teachers, and does not unduly distort the basic developmental task of schools They advocate a certificate that places the more practical skills and abilities on an equal footing, for the purposes they serve, with the more intellectual abilities, and

is acceptable for selection to enter tertiary educational institutions and to employers.

(4) Employers want a certificate that they can understand, that is comparable across schools and throughout the State, and that has the hallmark of an independent body on it.

1.17 A number of submissions wished to see alternatives to certification. They advocated accreditation of schools, interviewing for tertiary selection or separate tertiary entrance examinations. The Committee appreciates the human feelings that motivated some of these suggestions, but

considered them to be very idealistic. In deciding against such alternatives the Committee has taken the student's welfare as the basic concern. Reasons for rejecting

accreditation of schools and for doubting the efficacy of interviews as a selection device are set out in Chapter 5.

(See 5.44 and 5.83 to 5.85 respectively.) We dismissed the notion of separate tertiary entrance examinations because we did not wish to see the existing dual system, one for

matriculation and one for other purposes, replaced by a multiple system.

1.18 Submissions in the ratio of 4:1 favoured one Year 12 certificate to serve the purposes of certifying:

Achievements at the end of secondary education;

General suitability for employment;

Suitability for entry to tertiary education.

The Committee, as shown in Chapter 5, reached the conclusion which was•that of the majority of submissions, namely that one Year 12 Certificate issued by an independent authority would best meet diverse demands: a comprehensive school curriculum, reasonable freedom for teachers, accountability to the community, no undue emphasis on Matriculation, assured standards for

selection for tertiary entrance, a uniform assessment for employers and, most important of all, fairness for students seeking more education or employment.

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11.

TO EXAMINE AND REPORT ON THE FUTURE NEEDS FOR:

(b) EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT FOR ENTRY TO UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS.

1.19 The universities left us in no doubt that they required in the future an independent assessment at least similar to the present Matriculation examination for selecting the majority of entrants to their courses. At the same time they assured the Committee that they did not wish to dictate the general

structure of the Year 12 examinations for all secondary students, but offered their assistance in the design of courses suitable both to potential university students and to those not seeking to proceed to tertiary studies.

The University of Adelaide told us that it does hold the following opinions:

(a) The Matriculation examination should not be taken for reasons of social prestige by students for whom it is unsuitable.

(b) The Matriculation examination should not be automatically tanked above alternative Year 12 examinations by employers.

However, there should be some authority (e.g. the Public Examinations Board) responsible for accrediting the various examinations and in particular, indicating their

appropriateness as qualifications for further study or for employment.

(c) All secondary students should have basic education to maintain minimum standards of literacy, numeracy and social awareness, and this general education should, where possible, continue up to the end of secondary schooling.

The Committee whole-heartedly subscribes to these opinions.

The University of Adelaide in its submissions also told us that its view of what matriculated students should be, was that of the Committee on Matriculation that met in 1960-61,

"To be educated persons with a broad background of general knowledge and information, not narrow specialists. In what is widely regarded as a scientific and technological age it wished to encourage those who will be regarded as important members of the community to gain some reasonable acquaintance with oth'er types of important human achievement in addition to their specialty, to offer

them a foundation for the understanding and appreciation in later life of literature and the arts in general, and to bring them to think critically about political, social and moral questions. For the same reason it also

wished to encourage arts-type students to have some knowledge of science."

The Committee has no quarrel with this as a general statement, but agrees with many other submissions that the universities' means of preparing an 'educated person' to enter the university are too narrow. The least convincing part of the submission

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of the University of Adelaide was its argument to avoid

"...a proliferation of composite or vocational subjects at the expense of traditional academic disciplines."

It appears to the Committee that Year 12 study of 'Natural Resources Management', a subject proposed, but not accepted, for matriculation purposes, for instance, might make a

prospective Arts graduate a better educated person than study of Matriculation Chemistry in Year 12.

The struggle to get Art accepted as a Matriculation subject was still in the minds of several who made submissions.

There was no evidence that inclusion of Art as a Matriculation subject has lessened the Matriculation examination as an

effective instrument for determining matriculants or that students taking it are less well prepared for their tertiary studies. Other submissions deplored the fact that technical, commercial, legal and inter-disciplinary subjects, acceptable for determining matriculants at other Australian universities, have been rejected by South Australia's universities.

While the Committee sympathises, and in large measure agrees, with the submissions advocating a wider range of subjects

for Matriculation purposes, it also agrees with the universities that study of a foreign language (from a wide range of choices), in Year 12, is very suitable for likely entrants to a university.

Indeed, we believe that such study is suitable for Year 12 students who intend entering the work force immediately, given the appropriate approach to teaching and learning the language.

The Committee does not wish to deal in detail with this issue, except to say that, when additional subjects become available, approved by the subject approval body of an independent

authority and examined in Year 12 by that authority, the universities in the future may be prepared to review their position. The Flinders University of South Australia would encourage efforts to improve the Matriculation examination but urges that any changes should be after careful scrutiny by the Public Examinations Board and after trial in the schools.

That is all the Committee would ask.

1.20 The South Australian Institute of Technology and other Colleges of Advanced Education, while using the present Matriculation examination for selecting entrants to their institutions, are prepared to make use of a broader range of subjects than at present used by the universities for Matriculation. The Institute, for 'Registration', accepts an aggregate points score above a certain minimum on any five Matriculuation subjects without restriction. For 'Association', selection is on the basis of performance in Matriculation or non-

Matriculation Year 12 subjects while for 'Certificate Entry', The Institute of Technology will consider satisfactory

completion of Year 11 studies or alternative equivalents.

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13.

Other Colleges of Advanced Education considered that while the Matriculation examination was a good indicator of performance in their courses, it was no better than some other methods of selection they had used, e.g.: Mature Student Entry

examination and interviews (particularly of migrants). The Colleges of Advanced Education believed that entrance to their institutions (and to universities) is best regulated by external assessment conducted by a single Public Examinations Board. However, as their courses are different from

university courses, they advocate an extended range of subjects and approaches. One submission cited such subjects as

Accounting, Biblical Studies, Commercial and Legal Studies, Environmental Science, Graphic Communication and Politics as subjects available for Matriculation in Victoria.

Although The Flinders University of South Australia, in its submission, did say that examination preparation and procedures should impinge minimally on the learning process, theColleges of Advanced Education appeared even more concerned that

student evaluation should not be divorced from curriculum considerations, and that any future scheme of certification should not be detrimental to general education programmes provided by schools.

1.21 In its submission, the Department of Further Education stated that its main function was to provide post-compulsory

sub-tertiary education programmes, so that it was not particularly concerned with Year 12 examinations as an instrument for selecting students for entry to its various courses. It was however

concerned with Year 12 examinations for adults, whom the Department prepared for tertiary entrance at its Adult

Matriculation Centres and by correspondence. The Department of Further Education preferred the Western Australian approach to Year 12 certification (See 4.11.) but added that

notwithstanding this preference, any new system in South Australia should retain, for at least an interim period, some external examination. It proposed a Sub-Tertiary

Accreditation Board to administer assessment and certification at this level.

Predictive value of the Matriculation examination

1.22 Evidence of the value of the Matriculation examination in predicting success in tertiary studies is discussed in 5.70 to 5.78. The considered view of the Committee is that, although its predictive value is not high, an examination

of this kind is superior to most other instruments considered, in predicting future academic success. The Committee, as

mentioned in 5.77, was impressed by a statement in the review by SACEPR of selection practices in South Australia, which pointed out that the major question should be 'What kind of student should be selected in order to produce a particular kind of graduate?'. Trial in first year tertiary courses may be the best way to answer this question, but this would be enormously expensive and the tertiary institutions have neither the capital nor the manpower to attempt it.

The Committee believes the proposed much broadened, external examination (with increased school assessment component) will assist the tertiary institutions in their selection process

in allotting fairly the scarce places among competing applicants.

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The Committee recommends ( R. 18) that the new authority

should have the necessary resources and staff to enable it to conduct studies, especially of a longitudinal nature, on the predictive value of the selection instruments it devises,

not only for success in tertiary study but also in employment.

It is also hoped that the South Australian tertiary institutuons will themselves investigate new selection

procedures, while continuing to make immediate use of the Year 12 examination. Selection is only one task in the tertiary education process and again it is hoped that the tertiary institutions will continue to monitor closely their own teaching, examining and counselling practices.

Scaling, grading and moderation

1.23 These are discussed in Chapter 4.(See 4.12 to 4.13). The Committee considered variations of the existing practices and recommends (R.16) that the new authority conducts research in these

areas, in the interests of fairness to students and of honest reporting to those who wish to act on the information conveyed on the certificates. A major task awaits the new authority;

that of informing the public clearly on these procedures, and the reasons for their use. The Schools Commission's Services and Development Program is now aimed at the whole school community and not exclusively at teachers, and its

facilities could well be used to educate the South Australian community about the authority's assessing, examining and

certifying processes.

Stress

1.24 The Committee considers that some stress for Year 12 students is inevitable, regardless of the assessment procedures in operation. When students face any matter of great concern

for their future, stress is inevitable.(See 5.53 to 5.58).However, we believe the new arrangements proposed in this report will

reduce the pressures that contribute to the commonly reported 'examination stress'. No doubt research in this area is

needed, and the Committee recommends that the proposed new Board should use its influence to see that research is undertaken. (See R.16.)

Prerequisites

..25 It is clear that there are common misconceptions about the prerequisites needed for tertiary courses and indeed, for certain employment opportunities. For example, it is often claimed that Year 12 courses are designed as prerequisites or preparatory study for tertiary subjects, which is not so.

(See 5.12.) Also the Committee was told, for instance, that Matriculation had become the effective requirement for entry into a number of occupations, such as nursing and the police force, and yet submissions from the appropriate employing authorities deny that this is presently the case, although the Nurses Board did suggest that Year 12 may become the minimum entry requirement in the foreseeable future. (See 4.32.) Such misunderstandings clearly point to the need for further career counselling in schools.

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15.

The Committee recommends that the new authority should liaise with tertiary institutions, employers, unions, schools and the public generally, to provide the information that will counter such misconceptions. (See R.16.)

The Year 12 Certificate

1.26 The Committee desires a Year 12 certificate that conveys useful information with clarity to its users. (See 5.94 to 5.98.) This certificate will show all approved subjects taken during one year, and give a grade or scaled mark for each subject.

No distinction should be made, on the certificate itself, between those subjects acceptable for tertiary entrance and those not so; hence no aggregate mark or statement of

'matriculation' or 'registration' should appear on the proposed certificate. The Committee believes this to be a private

matter between a student and an institution, and that it is the institution's responsibility to make this information available to the student.

Recommendations

1.27 From the analysis of all the evidence available to it, the Committee makes the following recommendations under this Term of Reference:

(1) There shall be one statutory body, named the Public Examinations Board of South Australia (PEBSA) to administer all Year 12 certification.

(2) There shall be one certificate called the 'Year 12 Certificate' whilbh shall be issued by the Board.

(3) Subjects to be certified by the Board shall be:

(a) Subjects submitted by the Education Department of South Australia, schools, subject associations, the Department of Further Education, tertiary educational institutions, and other bodies, (b) Subjects included in the Matriculation Statutes

of the universities from time to time,

(c) Subjects assessed by other bodies for which Board certification is sought.

In each instance the subject shall be approved by the Board on the advice of the Subject Approval Committee and Subject Committees of the Board.

(4) The certificate shall show the subject(s) taken in any one year and the scaled mark or grades in each subject in a simple and useful manner determined by the Board.

(5) There shall be no indication of whether the student has matriculated or met the entrance requirements of tertiary institutions on the certificate.

(21)

TO EXAMINE:

(a) THE FUTURE OF THE PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS BOARD AND THE SECONDARY SCHOOL CERTIFICATE ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE.

1.28 The strengths of the Public Examinations Board were considered in submissions to be:

• Its high standing in the community, even outside South Australia;

The acceptance of its certificates as a valid and

reliable measure of a student's academic achievements;

The comparability of its certificates with those

•

of other examining bodies;

Its impartiality and its willingness to consider

changes in examination procedures, methods of assessment and certification even if moving slowly and cautiously.

The weaknesses of the Public Examinations Board were considered in submissions, to be:

▪ Its restricted membership and lack of representation of Colleges of Advanced Education, the Department of Further Education, employers, trade unions, the community and practising teachers;

The preparation of its syllabuses do not conform to modern methods of curriculum design;

• The narrowness of the range of subjects examined and of methods of assessing;

• Its scaling and grading methods give undue weight to mathematics and sciences;

▪ Its carefully researched recommendations are not always accepted by the universities.

1.29 Even the keenest supporters of the Secondary School Certificate were critical of its administration. Nevertheless the Year 12 Secondary School Certificate was considered to have some strengths:

It was considered to be more appropriate for those seeking immediate employment than the Matriculation certificate;

Its courses have been well-designed using committees of teachers and consultants and advice from

curriculum experts;

• Its permitted variety and flexibility of approach by professional teachers;

• It encompassed a broader range of courses and subjects.

Just as the strengthsof the Secondary School Certificate were reported, mainly by teachers or their associations or schools, so were criticisms of the Secondary School Certificate made, mainly by parents and employers.

Lack of comparability between schools was probably the main criticism;

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17.

Employers and the community did not understand the certificate, and the Education Department had been unsuccessful in promoting its acceptance or causing it to be seen as a valid and reliable document showing a student's achievement at the end of secondary schooling;

Its moderating schemes have not been particularly effective. Its acceptance frequently depends on the reputation of the school.

1.30 Following analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the two administrations of the two sets of certificates, advice from interstate and overseas and from local employers, parents, educators and even students, the Committee endeavoured to

reach a solution that would combine the strengths and eliminate the weaknesses of the two systems in the interests of the South Australian community and particularly, the student community.

TO EXAMINE :

(b) THE ADVISABILITY OF ESTABLISHING A SINGLE AUTHORITY TO ADMINISTER ALL YEAR 12 CERTIFICATION.

1.31 As stated later in this report (See 5.99.) the Committee could not fail to be impressed by the strength of informed submissions made to it that a single authority should be made responsible for all assessment and certification at Year 12.

Indeed its own existence and the nature of its Terms of Reference to a large extent derived from the kinds of

dis-satisfaction with existing arrangements stated so clearly in many submissions. The Committee's own support for the establishment of a single authority is based broadly on its belief, strengthened by the submissions, in the two important concepts of accountability and acceptability.

The need for acceptability of assessment and certification has always been part of the strength of the P.E.B. system.

Acceptability in this sense was no doubt related to the perceived independence of the Public Examinations Board, to the involvement 'of a wide range of educators in its processes, and to the acceptability of its results to the

universities which had a direct responsibility for its standards.

The strength of that acceptability has been shown by the way in which the Board's certificates have been relied on by employers and others as a valid measure of a student's

achievement. The Committee believes that a single authority must be such as to achieve similar wide acceptability for its assessment and certification of practically the whole Year 12 activity.

Accountability in education has been widely debated in recent years, and has many aspects. Here it is taken to refer to the growing public demand for independent confirmation of the

standards achieved in educational processes carried out largely at public expense. The Committee believes that, while it would be an unreasonable interference with these processes to require their validation at all levels, it is reasonable and right to insist upon it at the critical stage, from the community point of view, that is, at the termination of secondary schooling. A single authority must have the scope and powers necessary to enable it to carry out that function.

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We point out that, although nations around the world are divided on the issue of external examinations or internal assessment at the end of secondary school, very few have external examinations in years prior to the final year.

Assessments in the earlier years of secondary education are in the main left to the schools. England is a notable exception, but, of course, in some counties the 11 plus examination is still held, whereas its counterpart in South Australia, the Qualifying Certificate was abandoned in 1942.

Both of these concepts, accountability and acceptability, affect the educational opportunities of students.

Accountability is necessary to convince the Australian

taxpayer to provide the necessary funds for students at this level to have opportunities for continuing education, while acceptance by tertiary institutions and by employers is a necessary concomitant to student advancement in education or employment.

Again deriving from the Committee's wish to see public acceptability and accountability, it would seem that the proposed single authority should assess and certify as wide a range of Year 12 activities as possible. For those subjects which have been approved and assessed (or the schools'

assessment moderated) by the authority, it is obvious that the authority can publicly state its confidence in the assessment by including the results on its certificate. It is equally clear that it cannot certify subjects it has not approved.

It may, however, be the case that some schools will wish to include in their Year 12 programme, subjects which are not devised by the schools but are provided by other educational bodies which themselves have publicly acceptable approval and assessment procedures. Examples would be the present use by some schools of subjects which form part of the Commerce Certificate of the Department of Further Education; the

so-called 'link courses' of this Department used in Secondary schools; the possible use in the schools of subjects provided by the Colleges of Advanced Education, and the possible use of subjects examined by interstate examining bodies. The

Committee considers that the new authority should, wherever possible, assure itself of the standards being applied by such other bodies and enter into agreements with them whereby the results of their assessments can be included on the

authority's certificates.

1.32 Given the broad public confidence in the Public Examinations Board as expressed in many submissions, and the fact that the Board's Act already enables it to operate with the Minister's permission over a wider area than Matriculation, it seems clear that a new single authority should be developed on similar lines to the Public Examinations Board. Simply

reconstituting the Board and giving it raider powers might have the beneficial result of giving the community the desired

confidence in the new activities and certificates envisaged in this report. Alternatively, a completely new authority

might be introduced to replace the Public Examinations Board, so eliminating any of the features of the P.E.B. thought undesirable in some submissions (e.g., its supposed domination by the

universities), but losing the goodwill at present enjoyed by the P.E.B.

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19.

In line with the discussion above, and in particular, the emphasis which has been placed on public acceptability and accountability, it would seem essential for the proposed

single authority to be as broadly-based as possible, consistent with its being able to operate effectively. The management board of the authority should, the Committee agrees, be widely representative. The composition of the present Public

Examinations Board pays great attention to establishing a

balance between various, rather finely divided, representative groups. However, it omits a number of groups which are

believed to be important in the context mentioned above, such as other sectors of education (Colleges of Advanced Education and the Department of Further Education), employers and parents.

The present Board (See Chapter 3.) would become cumbersome if representatives of these additional groups were simply added.

The Committee proposes that there should be wider representation on the proposed Board and that existing distinctions between, for instance, headmasters and headmistresses, should disappear.

The Committee considered the particular contributions which are required at the top policy making levels and at the various subordinate levels, and the levels at which the contribution from various groups might be most effective. Thus, for

instance, the Committee believed that the major contribution at the syllabus formulation level must be that of school

teachers, assisted by tertiary teachers and professional staff of the Board. At the top level, we decided that persons

experienced in policy matters would make a larger contribution - head teachers, education administrators both at school and

tertiary level, managers from industry and commerce and senior executives from the trade union movement - but that there

would still be required a contribution from the teachers

responsible for dealing with the effects of policy within the schools.

Between these levels there is a quite distinct task, that of examining proposed subjects to see if they are required by the community and worthy of assessment by the authority. We

decided at this level the contributions of both educators and the general community are equally necessary. Hence the membership of the Subject Approval Committee of the Board shown in 1.33 (5).

The Subject Approval Committee will have the following duties:

(1) To consider subjects proposed to the Board for assessment and certification at Year 12 level from all sources -

the Education Department, Schools, subject associations, the Department of Further Education, tertiary educational institutions and community groups including the Board itself or its Committees.

(2) To refer such subjects and syllabuses to the appropriate Subject Committees for detailed consideration of content, standard and method of assessment.

(3) To report and recommend to the Board, following advice from Subject Committees, on the approval or not of each proposed subject for assessment and certification by the Board.

(25)

(4) To report and recommend to the Board on subjects assessed by other authorities for which inclusion on the Board's certificates is sought, with advice from Subject Committees as required.

(5) To report and recommend to the Board on the revision of existing subject syllabuses, again, on the advice

of the appropriate Subject Committees.

(6) To review subjects form time to time and report and recommend to the Board on whether they should continue to be assessed and included on the Board's certificates;

likewise with advice from Subject Committees as required.

(7) To consider such other matters as the Board may refer to it.

Other issues concerning membership of the authority, and related matters considered by the Committee and in which decisions have been made are:

If the authority's Board was to be fairly large and representative, should it also have a small

executive committee to carry on day-to-day business, or should that task be delegated to the employed secretariat?

In either of the above events, should the Chairman of the Board be a full-time officer, or would it be

better for reasons of community involvement for the Chairman to be part-time (i.e. a member of the

outside community who may or may not be one of the representative members of the Board)?

Should the full-time executive officer of the

authority be appointed at the level of the present Secretary of the Public Examinations Board (perhaps, if there is also a full-time Chairman), or should he be recruited at a much higher salary level in view of the wider responsibilities envisaged for the authority?

Should the executive officer be a full member of the Council or serve the Council as its most

important executant adviser?

Should the Chairman of the authority be appointed by the Board (community involvement) or by the Minister of Education (impartiality)?

Should the Northern Territory, which continues to use South Australian examinations, be represented on the authority?

To give a balance of stability of membership, yet

freshpess of ideas should there be annual appointments to the Board or longer term appointments with limitations on the number of consecutive terms for which a member may be appointed? Should the initial appointments to the Board be staggered in length to provide this stability yet change of membership?

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21.

TO RECOMMEND ANY NECESSARY LEGISLATIVE CHANGES

1.33 With the multiplicity of issues (See Chapter 54 involved in Year 12 assessment and certification in focus, and the

general welfare of students always in mind, the Committee makes the following recommendations, some of which will require legislation.

Recommendations

(1) There shall be one independent statutory authority, named the Public Examinations Board of South Australia (PEBSA) to administer all student assessment and certification at Year 12 of secondary education in South Australia.

(2) The authority shall be governed by a Board of twenty five members appointed by the Minister of Education for a

three year term provided that the initial appointments may be staggered in length, and no member shall serve for more than two full three-year terms consecutively.

The membership shall be:

(a) 8 shall be teachers or administrators appointed on the advice of the Director-General of Education, the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools and the South Australian Independent Schools Board, provided that at least 3 shall be practising teachers;

(b) 3 shall be from the academic or administative staff of the Colleges of Advanced Education appointed on the advice of the Committee of Directors of the Colleges;

(c) 1 shall be from the teaching or administrative staff of the Department of Further Education appointed on the advice of the Director-General of Further

Education;

(d) 6 shall be from the academic and administrative staffs of the University of Adelaide and the Flinders

University of South Australia appointed on the advice of the Councils of the universities;

(e) 5 shall be representatives of employers, trade unions and parents appointed on the advice that the Minister seeks from employers' associations, parents'

organisations, the Trades and Labour Council and elsewhere;

(f) 1 shall be a representative of the Northern Territory appointed on the advice of the Director of Education in the Northern Territory;

(g) 1 shall be a part-time Chairman appointed on advice that the Minister of Education may seek, with the proviso that the Minister may appoint the first

Chairman on a full-time or other basis for a maximum period of three years from the date of the

appointment in order to establish the authority and its functions in terms of the recommendations of this Report, and on such other conditions of appointment as the Minister shall decide.

(27)

(3) The Board shall have an Executive Director who shall be an employee of the Board appointed at such salary and conditions as the Board (or an interim Board) shall determine.

We see the status of the Executive Director being no less than that of an Executive Officer - Grade 2 of the State Public Service.

(4) The Board shall determine its own Committee structure, but this shall include at least a Subject Approval Committee and appropriate Subject Committees.

(5) The Subject Approval Committee shall be chaired by a member of the Board, appointed by the Board, and consist of the following members appointed by the Board,

additional to the Chairman;

2 Secondary Teachers

2 Secondary Administrators

2. College of Advanced Education Representatives 1 Department of Further Education Representative 2 Representatives from the Universities

6 Representatives of employers, trade unions and parents 1 The Executive Director of the Board

1 Professional Officer of the Board

(6) A Subject Committee shall be chaired by a person elected by the committee. For any subject included in the

Matriculation statutes of the universities, the Board shall appoint a Chief Examiner who shall be a member of the academic staff of one of the universities or a person approved by them.

(7) The Subject Committees for subjects included in the Matriculation statute of either university shall be appointed by the Board with the university membership approved by the universities. We recommend wider representation than at present, and in particular the inclusion of nominees from the appropriate subject

associations some of whom should be practising teachers, and a nominee of the Director of Education, Northern Territory.

The Subject Committees for other subjects shall be constituted by the Board on the recommendation of the Subject Approval Committee, with membership determined to meet the particular needs of different subjects, and in any event with a substantial majority of

secondary teachers together with other persons competent in the field.

(9) Each Subject Committee of the Board shall be served by a full-time expert adviser, an employee of the Board who may be.a seconded officer or teacher from any education institution or school in South Australia or the Northern Territory.

(8)

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23.

Duties of the Board

1.34 The Committee sees the duties of the proposed Board as follows:

▪ To conduct the Year 12 Examination annually;

▪ To provide candidates with certificates as soon as possible after the completion of the examination.

This should be no later than December 31 of the year of the examination and the new Board, in consultation with the schools should establish an organisation to meet this deadline for provision of certificates. (See Chapter 5 - The Timing of Examinations, 5.91 to 5.93.)

▪ To provide the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre with the results of candidates in the form that S.A.T.A.C. requires them for transmitting to the individual tertiary institutions for

selecting entrants. These results should be

supplied no later than the date on which certificates are sent to candidates as outlined above.

▪ To encourage such bodies as the Education Department, subject associations, schools, and other community groups, to submit syllabuses for consideration by the Board's Committees to become approved subjects.

• To liaise with such bodies and offer assistance and advice in preparing syllabuses for submission to the Subject Approval Committee.

• To conduct, commission and publish research into matters associated with Year 12 assessment and certification with a view to improving the system in performing its function.

• To prepare a budget each year to advise the Minister of the funds required to carry out its duties

efficiently and effectively.

▪ To appoint triennially a Subject Approval Committee;

and its Chairman from among the members of the Board.

• To appoint annually Subject Committees in accordance with the specifications shown in 1.33 (7), (8) and (9) .

▪ To provide an annual report to the Minister.

• To publicise the work of the Board and provide accurate and detailed information about its assessment

procedures, its Year 12 syllabuses and the use to which its certificate and results are put.

Officers and Staff of the Board

1.35 If the Board is to carry out the duties we prescribe it must have a staff, adequate numerically, and competent in the specialised skills required.

The present Board has seen the need for strengthening the professional advice it has been able to give to its subject committees. The absence of such advice has led to criticism of some syllabus statements issued by the P.E.B.. To remedy

(29)

CHAPTER 2

TERMS OF REFERENCE AND PROCEDURES OF THE COMMITTEE Terms of Reference

2.1 The Committee of Enquiry into Year 12 Examinations in South Australia was given these terms of reference:

(1) To investigate and report on the suitability and adequacy of the present form and standards of

assessment and certification at Year 12 as preparation for:

(a) the various forms of post-secondary study;

(b) post-secondary employment.

The Committee should consider the influence that Year 12 certificates have on selection procedures for students to enter Year 12.

(2) To examine and report on the future needs of:

(a) certification by the Public Examinations Board and the Education Department at Year 12 level;

(b) external assessment for entry to universities

and other post-secondary educational institutions.

(3) To examine

(a) the future of the Public Examinations Board

and the Secondary School Certificate administrative structure;

(b) the advisability of establishing a single authority to administer all Ye'ar 12 certification.

(4) To recommend any necessary legislative changes.

Background to the Committee's Appointment.

2.2 In South Australia, ten years ago, there were three public examinations conducted by the Public Examinations Board. One was at Year 10 level (the 'Intermediate' examination), a

second was at Year 11 (the 'Leaving' examination) while the third was the 'Matriculation' examination at the end of Year 12. The Education Department also conducted corresponding

examinations at the first two of these stages. The 'Intermediate' examination was conducted for the last time in 1968 and the

'Leaving' examination for the last time in 1974. The

corresponding Education Department examinations also ceased at those times.

In 1971, the Karmel Committee of Enquiry into Education in South Australia, concerned that

...there are already many students whose future careers, whether in study or work, are not best served by courses leading to existing public examinations.",1

suggested that examinations and certification in South Australia be closely looked at. The issue was not, that

(30)

2/.

committee felt, within their terms of reference, and accordingly they recommended that

"The Minister of Education should authorise an inquiry into the nature and functions of

examinations and certificates at the end of secondary schooling, and into the methods most appropriate for the assessment of student

achievement at this level."1

The abandonment of the 'Intermediate' and 'Leaving'

examinations facilitated developments within the Education Department to broaden curriculum activities for students in secondary schools and led to other forms of reporting

student achievement and progress. Examples of these wider forms of certification that so developed include the School Leaver Statement, the Secondary School Certificate (which had been made available as an alternative to the P.E.B Matriculation examination), particular school—based

certificates such as those developed at Urrbrae Agriculture High School, and reports of hybrid Year 12 courses containing some P.E.B. subjects and some school-based subjects.

2.3 The Matriculation examination, designed to select for

entrance to universities, remained as the only examination conducted by the Public Examination Board. The attention of the public generally, and in particular that of parents,

teachers and employers, focused on the Matriculation examination and it became clear that it was seen by many to serve

purposes other than its original purpose of selection for entrance to university studies. The P.E.B. Matriculation examination is now generally also viewed, in addition to being an indication of likely success in a tertiary

institution, as a mark of completion of a secondary

education and as a desirable qualification for employment.

2.4 Two Year 12 certification systems now exist, side by side;

the Matriculation certificate, issued by the P.E.B., largely on the basis of an external examination, and the Secondary School Certificate issued by the Education Department after tue application of processes of moderation and equalization to $choolo.based assessments. The question of the relationship between these two has been raised by parents, employers,

students and teachers. Employers and, to a lesser extent tertiary institution admissions officers, have had to face the problem of equating the usefulness and value of the two certificates. Parents and students have also gained the impression that the Year 12 external certificate, issued

as a Matriculation Certificate, was a preferred qualification for a number of post-secondary opportunities of either work or study.

Many teachers believed that the pressure created by this preference inhibited their attempts to develop a more widely based curriculum suited to both the abilities and future requirements of students. Within the P.E.B.

Matriculation examination system there has been criticism

1 ibid, 18.77.

University Library 111 111 1 111 33168301710709

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University Library 111 111 1 111 33168301710709

hSTI Rama.: fy

ADELAIDE DECEMBER, 1978

II r

ry-

REPORT OF

THE COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY INTO YEAR 12 EXAMINATIONS

IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

D.J E.WEMSills N- a )s

C 2

D.Forderley() M.A. O'Brien

OaA-e-t:

C. teel

D'J. Anders E.S. Barnes

D.H. Fbrder

W . Mertz

20 November, 1978.

Dr. D.J. Hopgood, Minister of Education, Parliament House,

North Terrace,

ADELAIDE. S.A. 5000.

Dear Minister,

On the 24th November, 1977, you informed us that we had been appointed as a Committee of Enquiry into Year 12 Examinations in South Australia. We met for the first time on 21st December, 1977, and have continued to meet at least monthly.

In April 1978, Mr. D.H. Forder requested that he be relieved of the Secretaryship of the Committee, but has remained as a member of the Committee. Mr. D.J. Anders accepted the position of Secretary.

Our Report is a unanimous one which, we believe, contains positive proposals for the betterment of Year 12 assessment and certification in accordance with our Terms of Reference.

We have pleasure in forwarding the Report for your consideration.

We are,

Yours sincerely,

OF THE

COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY INTO YEAR 12 EXAMINATIONS IN

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

DECEMBER 1978

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

1.1

in the

10.

11.

CHAPTER 2

II ^r

D.J E.WEMSills _N- a ^)s

C. ^teel

D.H. ^Fbrder