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The Office of the Board of Studies has now published their proposed changes to HSC examination and assessment specifications, which can be found at: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/exam-proposals/  It is clear that Society and Culture is being targeted for the most drastic changes.  The Board intends for the PIP to be internally assessed and for the, now 3 hour, HSC exam, to include 10% multiple choice questions.  However, reading through the Board’s Background Paper (available at the abovementioned website) there is no educational rationale for internally assessing the PIP.  Indeed, no other project-based subject has been targeted for this kind of treatment.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

We have only a limited amount of time to respond to these proposals and ensure that the members of the Board know their full implications before the decision is made. The consultation period is now open and closes on 28 October 2008, and the Board is requesting feedback through an online form (again, available at the above website).

1. We urge you to respond to the Board via their feedback form as soon as possible and we have provided some points to consider, below.

2. We would also like you to have your current and past HSC students complete our online survey, which can be found here.

Some points to consider in your submissions:

• All responses must focus on the issue of external marking of the PIP, rather than the merits of the PIP itself. The counter-argument from the Board to feedback regarding the importance of the PIP will be that the PIP is not being removed from the course; it is simply being assessed internally.

• Increasing the mark value of the exam to 100% will increase stress of HSC students during the exam period, which is purportedly what these changes are designed to alleviate. Allowing students to complete 30% of HSC assessment in the form of the PIP prior to the formal examination period not only eases the stress of the HSC, but also allows for individual differences among students. Students who do not perform well in exams are catered for in a way that makes them feel empowered and supported.

• It is utterly inconsistent with the overall structure of HSC assessment to remove the external assessment component from the Personal Interest Project. Society and Culture is more than a theoretical course; it is an inherently practical one. Indeed, the skills objectives of the Society and Culture syllabus cannot be effectively assessed through examination alone. If the Board of Studies is aspiring to effective summative assessment to determine the achievement levels of students at the end of Stage 6, how can this possible be achieved without external assessment of their practical skills? Like Visual Arts, Drama and Textiles and Design, Society and Culture demands practical external assessment to reflect the practical nature of the course.

• No other project-based course has been targeted. Is it because Society and Culture does not have a publicity-gathering ‘showcase’ like ArtExpress that it makes an ‘easy target’? Or is it simply anti-intellectualism?

• The Personal Interest Project provides students with valuable skills which prepare them for university and the workplace, and for life. Students are empowered and transformed by their personal and active interaction with the subject matter which they are studying. To remove external assessment from the PIP would denigrate the appeal and the value of this component of the course.

Our campaign so far has had an impact. The Board has been surprised by the level of opposition to their proposals that we have exhibited to date, and we are grateful to all of our passionate members who have taken the time to write to the Minister and the Board. With the HSC looming, this is a very busy time of year but please take the extra time to respond to our survey and to the feedback form for the Board. We must take action now to maintain the integrity of the PIP.

Sincerely,
Society and Culture Association Executive