Arabic version: مدير سكوتش كوليدج يحذّر من تراجع المشاركة في اختبار أتار

According to ABC News, the proportion of Western Australian Year 12 students taking four or more ATAR course exams has fallen again, prompting Scotch College headmaster Alec O’Connell to warn that fewer students may be challenging themselves in their final school year.

School Curriculum and Standards Authority data shows 36.9 per cent of Year 12 students enrolled in four or more ATAR exams this year, down from 38.1 per cent last year. A decade ago, 58 per cent of Year 12 students statewide completed four or more ATAR courses.

Dr O’Connell said he supported different pathways to university but was concerned the statewide decline in ATAR engagement could signal a broader problem. He said advanced university entry and reduced ATAR prerequisites meant students could be encouraged to seek “the path of least resistance”. He also questioned whether there was enough empirical evidence that alternative entry pathways led to successful completion of chosen university courses.

Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success policy director Ian Li said students were making informed choices about pathways they believed would produce the best outcomes. He said about 30 per cent of government school students take at least four ATAR subjects in Year 12, compared with 40 to 50 per cent in independent and Catholic schools, raising concerns about whether the same options are available across school sectors.

From 2027, students using a tertiary preparation endorsed program will be required to complete at least one ATAR course in Year 12. The SCSA said the change followed consultation and was intended to strengthen university preparation. Executive director Juanita Healy said the Western Australian Certificate of Education participation rate had remained relatively stable, while vocational education and training continued to offer a practical pathway for students.