Use-By Date

With only five days left of the 2013 HSC examinations, many have called into question the appropriateness of the NSW state-wide test and the manner in which it is conducted. James Athanasou for the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) suggests that perhaps the “HSC has reached its use-by date and risks stifling learning potential.”

If Australians are worried now about the disadvantages of ‘teaching to the test’ in regards to standardized testing such as PISA or NAPLAN exams, the HSC should be of the utmost concern as students spend an entire twelve months focusing on nothing but a final exam. Athanasou describes the HSC process as “causing collateral damage to a love of learning. It transforms the best years of life into an educational marathon filled with coaching and cramming.” Such external tuition is a service many buy into however, it is evidently clear that this causes a disruption to the equality of education with certain students receiving tutoring as well as regular schooling, whilst other students are unable to afford such a privilege.

In 2011, Joel Reines told SMH,

“I’ve had three tutors for five subjects this year…but no matter how much I am hothoused, my tutors aren’t going to be sitting next to me in the exam room…being over-tutored can mean that students may lose the ability to do their own research, which is vital. Having information virtually fed to you on a platter will only get you so far.”

Whilst some students strive as a result of the extra tuition, personally I know it would not have worked for me, simply because I prefer to be independent and believe that the most informative part of the learning process lies in the research and the forming of one’s own ideas and opinions. 

This realization I believe highlights a key point in the current debate against the HSC, that all students are different, have varying learning styles and abilities, and therefore a diverse range of testing is required. Students sitting their HSC, typically seventeen and eighteen years of age, generally hate nothing more than being categorized into a meaningless stereotype. Hopkins writes,

“Many everyday assumptions and stereotypes about young people lead to assumptions being made about them being rebellious, out of control, or a threat to the moral order of civilized society. These stereotypes are reinforced through the agents of socialisation – such as the family, school, the media, and the workplace – that have exceptional influences…over how people live their lives.”

I know that I would have been horrified to be cast into such a role as that which Hopkins described, simply due to my age. The same applies to the education system. It is of no benefit to anyone to categorise and stereotype how you believe a student should learn, should comprehend, should respond. And yet, that exact uniformity is what is asked of students in most HSC exams which is what has caused the reliance on ‘rote-learning,’ a separate issue in itself.

The HSC is trying “to be all things to all people,” however, it is unfortunately failing miserably. Athanasou suggests, “The HSC system is far too complex a solution for the educational problems it is trying to solve,” and argues the need for an “HSC review.”

If the HSC is left as is, leaving students overly stressed and feeling inept without external assistance, the education of our high school finishing students will remain tainted by a twelve month stunt in their learning process. The HSC has become little more than a numbers game, with parents, teachers and students trying to crack the code to HSC success. The HSC was recently noted as a “credential with integrity” (Board of Studies chair), however, it is becoming increasingly clear that the exam which claims it strives to appease all, is failing to recognise its major problem; its lack of acknowledgement of students as individuals with their own identity, ideas and opinions.

Athanasou concludes with his belief that “we could do a far better job for all concerned.” I echo that statement and conclude with the same hopeful sentiment that the call for reform will be recognised, before too many more students experience the same inadequacies.

By Carly Fisher

References

Athanasou, J. 'HSC has reached its use-by date and risks stifling learning potential.' October 15, 2013. Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/comment/hsc-has-reached-its-useby-date-and-risks-stifling-learning-potential-20131014-2viqu.html

Reines, J. 'Do Students Need Tutoring to Succeed in the HSC.' October 15, 2011. Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/the-question/do-students-need-tutoring-to-succeed-in-the-hsc-20111014-1loyq.html#ixzz2jZwLrB5s

Hopkins, P. 'Young People, Place and Identity.' 2010. Routledge. pp. 9 

Image

https://www.tallpoppytutors.com.au

Food For Thought

Undeniably, inequality exists within the Australian education system with the achievement gap consistently causing concern for the government, who, despite various efforts, cannot seem to find a way to lessen the serious educational disadvantage experienced by specific communities. However, the reality is that inequality will continue to exist until we, as a society, can overcome discrimination. Ford notes a possible cause for the lack of progress in closing the gap as being locked-in-inequality whereby injustices of the past continue to resonate in modern society. This is elaborated on by Ford who references Roithmayr,  

“Poor health and housing, low educational opportunities and economic disparities derive from earlier locked in monopolies, thus contributing to contemporary inequality. The deep-rooted nature of this systemic inequality means it can only be altered with a radical overhaul of current policies and practices.”  

As Australia struggles with finding ways to bridge the achievement gap and overcome locked-in-inequality through the abolition of racism, informal education, such as the programs run at community organizations like ‘Our Big Kitchen,’ is proving a new way of teaching the importance of acceptance, equality and tolerance. Such programs have been devised with the intention of combating cultural and religious intolerance. (Please view: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3410812.htm). To date, ‘Our Big Kitchen’ has hosted approximately ten ‘Together for Humanity’ events whereby schools with differing religious values, cultural backgrounds, etc go into the kitchen and experience the benefits of learning from others through the comfortable medium of food.

A primary current concern of the education system is that teachers are simply means testing, ie. ‘teaching to the test.’  Through informal education programs such as this, ‘teaching to the test’ is irrelevant. The test in this instance is life and the magnitude and importance of the lessons learnt through such programs are experienced long after students have left the ‘classroom.’

Whilst ‘Our Big Kitchen’ plays host to a large variety of events that can be considered as the optimum of informal education, in this instance I refer to a program run with students from a Jewish, and students from a Muslim school. Rabbi Slavin, founder of ‘Our Big Kitchen’ comments on the program, “it was a way for Jews and Muslims to come together and cook each other’s food and realize that we can live together in peace,” and adds that the sole purpose of the event was aimed at everyone “learning more about each others’ cultures and faiths.”

The principals of the schools involved; Arkana College and Mount Sinai College, both expressed their belief in the long-lasting benefits of such a program. Osman Karolina (Arkana Principal) noted,

“what our schools have done…is almost unheard of, anywhere. Plenty of schools meet and chat, but the nature of this relationship is inspiring.”

Similar sentiments were expressed by Mount Sinai Principal, Phil Roberts;

“Osman and I share a similar optimistic perspective and both recognise that the hand of friendship has no colour. We both believe the experiences the children share can be transformative. It is heartening to see the children playing and working side by side.”    

During the program, each school was asked to demonstrate how to prepare a food that was of importance to their relevant cultural background, before sitting down together to enjoy the ‘fruits of their labour.’ ‘Our Big Kitchen’s’ General Manager explains,

“You watch as the prejudices that they start with start to dissipate over food. They start to realize, hang on, this person is meant to have horns and he doesn’t, this one is meant to have a bomb under his vest, and he doesn’t, and they realize, hey, we are just a bunch of kids in Australia.”

I am a strong believer in the idea that school and learning exists beyond the walls of formalized classrooms and to see programs being run with the purpose of reducing animosity and cultural ignorance is inspiring. Reaching out to children whilst they are at such an impressionable age often allows teachers and informal educators to aid students in forming appropriate and rationale judgments, as opposed to uneducated and ill-informed opinions that so often define the relationship between ‘opposing’ cultural or religious groups. The work of such educators is vital in breaking down the cycle of cultural ignorance that often plagues generations.

I have been lucky enough to witness events of this nature at ‘Our Big Kitchen’ and can therefore express from first hand experience the accomplishments of this community organization in taking a leading role in reducing acrimony between cultures and religions, between the supposed ‘haves and the have not’s,’ etc. Here, food is the catalyst for the real educational revolution that Australia needs if it is to remain a society based on effective multiculturalism and fairness. Here, informal education is breeding a new generation of culture that will rely on the basic fundamentals of human rights; that everyone is equal and should be treated as such.

By Carly Fisher 

The video below references the above, and other programs, conducted at 'Our Big Kitchen' with an explanation of the work of this community organisation. 

References

Ford, M. (2013) 'Achievement gaps in Australia: what NAPLAN reveals about education inequality in Australia, Race Ethnicity and Education.' Routledge. Pp 83. 

Rimier, M. 'Jews, Muslims Cook Together.' Our Big Kitchen Website - http://obk.org.au/jews-muslims-cook-together/

Jwire. 'No Fighting in the Kitchen!' Chabad World Website - http://www.chabadworld.net/page.asp?pageID=%7BA77B8BC0-A8DC-4188-9464-BCE91621BE98%7D

Dingle, S. 'Volunteers provide food for the soul in community kitchen.' 7:30 Report, ABC. January, 2012. http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3410812.htm

YOUTUBE LINK: Contributor - Jelenismx. Published 8 Sept 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAes2z-SjvM