All students deserve a chance: Minister

28/5/04
Education and Training Minister Alan Carpenter has today ordered the Curriculum Council to take action to prevent schools rorting TEE results to improve their academic performance.
Mr Carpenter was responding to claims that a Western Australian Adventist college had recently written to parents advising that poorly performing students might be required to sit the TEE as a private candidate in order to preserve the college's academic standing.
"Removing underperforming students for the sake of retaining or improving a school's academic performance should not be happening in any school, private or public," he said.
"I have told the Curriculum Council to look closely at this issue and consider ways to ensure the system is available only to genuine private candidates."
The Minister said those students forced into sitting the TEE as private candidates were in danger of severely limiting their future educational and training opportunities.
"Private candidates don't qualify for the same benefits afforded to school candidates and this can have an adverse outcome on their final results, including their Western Australian Certificate of Education," he said.
"For example, private candidates are assessed solely on their exam results whereas school candidates are assessed on a 50/50 combination of school work and exams.
"All students deserve the chance to make the most of their educational potential and I would hope that all schools are working towards giving them every opportunity."
Minister's office: 9213 6800