‘Your ATAR doesn’t matter’: What does that mean?
It is the infamous rollercoaster of Year 12 that leaves many students feeling deflated and anxious. As a recent graduate of high school, I understand the stress of studying and trying to manage a social life but, imagine how unsettling it would be during COVID-19. Let’s stop idolising numbers and start taking care of the wellbeing of our students so they can make their last year of high school worthwhile especially given the current circumstances.
Year 12s are soon to face their pinnacle of studies as exams are fast approaching but what has thirteen years of schooling taught these students? The cliché phrase ‘your ATAR doesn’t matter’ seems to be circulating within the life of senior students but this is tossed around and not discussed in detail. I know that obtaining substantial marks are important but, they are not as crucial as making memories and setting up maintainable habits.
Senior students should cherish the last moments of high school. The last class, last lunch order, last first day, last swimming carnival (albeit COVID has prevented many opportunities) and the last exam. Year 12 is about celebrations, achievements and growth yet there is still too much pressure on the exams, on ATARs, on our “worth”. Why?
It is the disappointing obsession with numbers and statistics that pressure students to measure their self-worth on a score and not who they really are.
Where is the acknowledgement for attending class? Discipline. Where is the value in submitting work on time? Time management. Where is the acknowledgement for staying on top of work? Organisation. Where is the value in supporting my cohort? Commitment. These attributes are ones that need to go noticed.
Studies from the tutoring company Cluey Learning have found that “80% of school leavers have anxiety about their ATAR score”. This is disheartening.
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Cluey Learning statistics show that “60% of senior students say the schooling system is not doing enough”. There has been a lack of concentration and exposure to the meaning of education. The discourse that education is about literacy and numeracy is shallow. The education system needs to emphasise the importance of high school and the life lessons that students have the opportunity to learn, such as building sustainable habits and skills that are helpful for career pathways. Values that workplaces look for; teamwork, communication, independence, responsibility, goal setting should be the focus. These attributes will help students excel in the future, not 80% on a maths assignment.
I am not degrading the importance of literacy and numeracy skills, but it is the excessive pressure on these areas that is leading to “80% of students agreeing that ATAR scores will be detrimental to their life”. How has the education system, parents and society failed so much? It is unfathomable that “75% of students believe their ATAR will impact the rest of their life”.
The phrase “your ATAR doesn’t matter” sends a false sense of security. There needs to be a shift of focus in emphasising the long-term effects and importance of the ‘why’ behind education. The ‘why’ of education needs to be developing fundamental life skills that will enable students to feel a real sense of security and confidence when leaving the realm of high school life and being able to excel in the wider world.
Opportunities to flourish in environments that value dedication, time management, teamwork and organisation are crucial in establishing a system that sets up students for the future. Knowing that students already have these life skills and healthy habits should make us feel confident. Scores are important but not nearly as important as the wellbeing of students, especially during a global pandemic. When exams are right around the corner, I hope that parents, teachers and students come to the realisation that your ATAR does not represent the hard work students have put in. It does not represent the organisation skills and dedication students have put in. It simply ranks you against other students in the state but it most certainly does not define you.
Your last year of high school should be about making memories and cherishing the moments of zoom classes, the short period where you were able to sit in class and muck around with your friends, watch movies during spare periods and ordering your favourite meal at the canteen.
I urge the education system to reassess the messages we are sending to students. ATARs should not consume the mind of an 18 year old completing thirteen years of school. I am not degrading the value of an ATAR but simply emphasising that there needs to be more concentration on encouraging students for their time management, perseverance and lifelong study habits they have created.
Ultimately, ATARs will never go away and I am not saying we should abolish the system but rather take a step back and see where the problem areas are and fix them. Promote healthy habits and encourage students no matter what. Your ATAR is not the be-all and end all.
Jeanie Kim is a university student studying a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne
