Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

2020 has been a tough year for many Australians, and it's been a particularly tough one for year 12s. Over the last couple of weeks, I've held Zoom calls with groups of year 12 students from schools across the electorate to talk to them directly. I wanted to hear from students to get a sense of how they're coping with this year, and ask if there's a way that we in the government could adequately acknowledge what they're going through. For many year 12s, the interruptions to their major work or the inability to catch up with a teacher after class for five minutes to chat about a topic they were finding difficult, or the sense of isolation from peers, have been challenging over the last few months. Others felt the disappointment of missing out on those bittersweet memories—a last athletics carnival or the year 12 revue—that are special about the last year of school. One student told me, 'You don't realise what you've got till it's gone.' I think that sentiment resonates with many of us at this time. There are, however, lots of great things that have come out of this year for students. Many feel they've built a greater sense of resilience and they've adapted quickly to online learning, learnt new technical skills and worked out how to communicate well with teachers and classmates online. Both students and their parents have developed a greater understanding and appreciation of what teachers do, and that's something I've heard across the board. This time has also built a greater sense in students of what it means to contribute to the community we live in. One student told me about how she and her parents purchased groceries for their elderly neighbour who couldn't go to the shops, while others reflected on the experience of the Anzac Day dawn service and the significance of standing with their neighbours to commemorate this important milestone in Australia's history. I also used the opportunity to understand more about the views and attitudes of young people generally. A lot of young people don't keep up with daily news but would like more opportunities to be better engaged and have a voice on issues that concern them. It's clear we have to find a better way of reaching our next voters.

One thing the group felt important to share with parliamentarians was that an education system whose only focus is the ATAR has the wrong set of values. Striving for a high ATAR often determines the subjects students undertake, prioritising potential marks over the development of passions such as drama or art. ATARs don't reflect their educational improvement, personal growth or contribution to the school and wider community. I think they're right. As more universities have early and alternative entry schemes, I think the ATAR is collapsing.

Despite the challenges experienced this year, many students have a renewed determination to work hard, and they feel grateful for being back in the classroom as schools have resumed on a normal basis. I think a lot has been asked of year 12s this year, as it has of all school students and their teachers and parents. I want to acknowledge their sense of loss as well as their anxieties about what the next six months may bring, but I also want to say to all the year 12s in my electorate: you can do it, and you'll have a unique story to tell about the experience of your final year, as you are the class of 2020, the class of COVID.