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FYA Media Release, Wednesday 11th August "Australian students call for a bigger
say on school education"
Seven thousand young
people across Australia have had their say in Tell Us, the
country’s biggest national student survey on school education. The
survey results, released today by The Foundation for Young
Australians (FYA) reveal that secondary students want a more active
role and a greater voice in their schooling.
Nearly half of students surveyed said
they don’t help decide how their school runs, while only four in
ten students agreed that their school listens to what they have to
say.
Drew Arthurson, Acting CEO at FYA,
said, “What we’ve heard from students throughout this campaign,
and in other FYA initiatives, is that they not only want a bigger say
in their education but also have great ideas and real enthusiasm to
improve Australian schools. That’s why we’ll continue to develop
the Tell Us platform alongside students to amplify their voices and
ensure that their views are heard loud and clear by decision makers.”
Sixteen year-old Lucinda Donaldson, Year 11 student at Sandringham Secondary
College, Victoria, and participant in Tell Us,
said, “I think lots of students want to become more involved in
what happens at their school. We’re the ones actually in the
classrooms and doing the learning. Maybe the government, teachers and
parents need to start listening to us more if they really want to
understand what makes students feel successful in school and
encourages us to learn,” she said.
Tell Us also
had some positive findings about how Australian schools prepare
students for a successful future and develop important skills. Out
of all students surveyed:
- 57% agreed or
strongly agreed that school helps them reach my full potential;
- 58% agreed or
strongly agreed that what they learn at school is relevant to their
life;
- 57% agreed or
strongly agreed that school helps them develop their most important
skills.
Students did express some doubts about
how well the current school system actually measures all of their
skills and knowledge. The majority (58%) of students agreed that what
they know cannot be measured by tests or marks. The survey’s
qualitative findings further highlighted that students feel
successful in a wide range of contexts, not just through when they
achieve academically.
Tell Us respondents had the following
answers to the question ‘When did you last feel successful at
school?’:
“Running a 'Youth Decide' event at
school which gave all students the opportunity to vote on the planets
future in relation to climate change made me feel succesful as I was
not only getting more involved in the school community, but also
doing my bit for the environment all in one. Success is not measured
by marks or an ATAR score, but instead how you make a difference and
bring people together.” 16 year-old Sarah
“I usually feel exprememly successful
outside school, because I sing nationally and have done a lot of that
recently. But I feel at school I'm not recognised, because my talents
lie outside the academic and sport worlds.” Sophie Perrottet
“I felt most successful at school
when I was selected as a peer support leader. It evoked a sense of
faith and pride that both the teachers and my peers valued my
leadership skills and my social skills. I believe these skills are
equally if not more important than academic results. Academic results
show only your intelligence and hardwork- not who you are as a
person.” 17-year old Ang
“I felt successful at school when I
met with the vice principal and talked about orgainising an 'Orange
day' to raise money to help orangutans. I felt successful when the
day was agreed to go ahead and that the vice principal accepted my
ideas.” 14 year-old Bianca
For the full results
of Tell Us and to learn more about what Australian students say about
success in schools visit this link.
Drew Arthurson, Acting CEO at FYA, and
Lucinda Donaldson are available for interview.
Media Enquiries
Jon Myer, Communications Manager: P 03
9604 6232 | M 0408 082 066
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