Victoria school system (secondary)

[Rumblyvike]

Hi

We're starting to look at the feasilibily of moving to Melbourne in June-Sept 2019. Our youngest will have just finished/be finishing Year 10 back home. If my calculations are right, she'd then go straight back into year 10 until the end of the year in December. 

I've had a look at the VIC Govt education pages and can't get a clear answer about qualifications. Can someone in VIC please tell me what kids do. 

I know there is a VCE, and it's (I think) taken over years 11&12, but is this a specialised set of exams like A levels, in just a few subjects, or is it a broader range like a iBac or GCSEs over a greater number of subjects? 

Do kids take state or national exams in year 10? 

Is it the VCE that gets you into Uni?

My worry is that my daughter won't get a maths and English qualification if she is expected to go straight into a version of A levels without doing any GCSEs! But I'm assuming I've got it all wrong :-)

 

thanks x

[NicF]

There is no equivalent to GCSEs here and yes VCA is taken over years 11 & 12. I'm not sure about the number of subjects the kids do though.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Students usually do 20-24 subjects over the 2 years, this is split in to 4 units so for example if they are doing English in year 11 they will complete Units 1 and 2, then in year 12 they will do units 3 and 4.

To graduate with the VCE, students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 16 units, although 20 to 24 units is generally the norm. Regardless of how many units are completed, students must complete a minimum of three units from the English group in order to graduate. This includes:

Foundation English (Units 1 and 2)

English (Units 1 to 4)

English as an Additional Language (Units 3 and 4)

English Language (Units 1 to 4)

Literature (Units 1 to 4).

At least one of the English units must be a Unit 3 or 4.

Students must also satisfactorily complete at least three other Unit 3 and 4 sequences. Any number of these sequences may be drawn from VET. Some, but not all, VCE VET units result in a study score that contributes to an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) for university entrance; other VET sequences contribute to the ATAR through an increment. There are also some restrictions on certain combinations of VCE and VET studies that may affect students’ ATAR calculations. To gain an ATAR, students need to complete four Unit 3 and 4 sequences that must include a Unit 3 and 4 study from the English group.

There are more than 90 studies (or subjects) to choose from in the VCE, and there are choices within those studies as well. For example, within history, students can choose studies on revolutions, Australian history or Renaissance Italy. Students can also choose from more than 40 languages, from Arabic to French, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.

As well as the 90-plus VCE studies, there are 30 VCE VET programs. Students integrating vocational education into their senior school program progress towards a nationally recognised vocational qualification as they earn their senior certificate. Students can include up to 13 units of VET studies in their VCE program (out of the minimum 16 units required to satisfactorily complete the VCE). It is even possible to undertake a part-time apprenticeship or traineeship within the VCE. 

'In regards to subjects check each school as they sometimes vary with what is available. My son wanted to study geology and the school he was at didn't offer it in Yr 11 or 12. So we were going to have to look at moving him. In the end we moved house so he needed to change anyway.

There are no special exams at the end of Year 10, students take the usual end of year exams and after year 10 they can drop out of school, however, most employers/Tafe will ask for a pass in year 10 maths and English