26/7/04
A report in today's West Australian newspaper rejecting claims of TEE rorting in schools was incorrect, Education and Training Minister Alan Carpenter said today.
Mr Carpenter said Curriculum Council figures over the past few years supported his concerns that rorting of the Tertiary Entrance Examinations system was practiced in some schools.
The issue of TEE rorting came to light in May this year when an Adventist College in Perth wrote 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.
"Between 2001 and 2003, there was a near 20 per cent jump in the total number of students sitting as private candidates in at least one TEE subject - up from 1,308 students in 2001 to 1,558 students in 2003," Mr Carpenter said.
"In addition, some schools had extraordinarily high numbers of students sitting as private candidates - ranging from 45 in one school to as high as 66 students in another in 2003.
"It has been a worrying trend and whilst there has been anecdotal evidence of the rorting practice for some time, the Adventist College incident was the first actual proof."
Mr Carpenter said the Curriculum Council had also confirmed at least one complaint from a private school about another private school rorting the Tertiary Entrance Examinations system to boost its academic records.
He said that following the Adventist College incident he had immediately ordered the Curriculum Council to take action to prevent schools rorting TEE results.
"As a result, there has been a massive 80 per cent decrease in the number of students enrolled to sit as private candidates in 2004 compared to the same time last year," Mr Carpenter said.
"As at 30 June 2004, 236 school-aged students, plus the 23 mature-aged students referred to in the newspaper article, have enrolled to sit at least one TEE subject as a private candidate.
"In contrast, there were 1,183 school-aged students enrolled as private candidates at the same time last year."
Mr Carpenter said the total number of private candidates for the 2004 TEE would be finalised after the Curriculum Council's August 20 deadline.
The Minister reiterated his warning to schools that they would be unwise to continue trying to rort the TEE system had they been doing so in the past.
"Schools need to understand the detrimental impact this practice could have on those students who were forced into sitting the TEE as private candidates," Mr Carpenter said.
"Private candidates do not qualify for the same benefits afforded to school candidates.
"This can have an adverse outcome on a private candidate's final results, impacting their future prospects for further education and ultimately, limiting their opportunities for the future."
Minister's office: 9213 6800
