Tom Elliott left “astonished” at current VCE system amid sweeping changes

Tom Elliott has questioned the current VCE education system amid sweeping changes.

The Andrews government on Monday unveiled the new system, where from 2021 students would undergo more reading, writing and numeracy tests.

But Tom said the secondary school education system, which was introduced in 1990 had “failed” in its duty to provide a competent way of testing students.

“You can graduate year 12, be presented with a year 12 certification from the State Government and yet you can be functionally illiterate and innumerate,” he said on 3AW Drive.

“How can you be awarded your VCE and go through 13 years of Victorian schooling yet be illiterate in English and unable to do maths?”

He was left dumbfounded after discovering it was impossible to fail the VCE.

“If you are ranked the bottom student in Victoria, you still get your VCE certificate,” he said.

“More testing in year’s 11 and 12 aren’t the answer. If kids get to the age of 16, 17 and 18 and they can’t express themselves properly…it’s too late.

“I’m astonished as to how we got to this point.”

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