Yesterday, as I sat down to write my daily practice essay for VCE English Language, I was struck by the topic: ‘Language has the power to influence and reflect community attitudes’.
I looked at the page, thinking of what to write, and looked up to see my personal VCE countdown wall (20 days left!), and all I could think about was the language that, as a community, we use around VCE and how it influences and reflects our attitudes.
The study’s score of 50 is an elusive and disturbing number. Credit:iStock
I recently read an article in The Age titled “How these students got 50s in science”. Before exams, I was feeling stressed and emotional, and this article, although well-intentioned, infuriated me, not because the advice in the article was bad (in fact, it was very helpful), but because of its headline. .
The study’s score of 50 is an elusive and disturbing number. It is a badge of achievement, and rightly so, for those who have worked incredibly hard and excelled in their subject throughout the year. But it says a lot about the attitudes of the community when newspaper articles, advertising and forums constantly shove this number down the throats of 12-year-old students who just want scores high enough to get them into the tertiary course of their choice.
Read more about the Year 12 student opinion piece from the VCE exam period here.