Advocacy

To advocate is to speak or act in support of or in defence of somebody, a community, or a cause.

Senior secondary education

Victorian students have raised issues with the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) for many years. Over countless years of VicSRC Congress, students have continually identified the need for fairer, more equitable VCE opportunities.

In 2023, a VCE Vocational Major was introduced and at VicSRC's 2023 Congress, the advocacy priority "Definitions of Success" prompted discussions about the need to offer opportunities to shift the belief that success at school is focused solely on a student's academic prowess.

In light of this, VicSRC with the support of the Victorian Department of Education is establishing a Senior Secondary Pathways Student Advisory Panel in 2024.

Graphic facilitation of issues and solutions discussed around Fair Go VCE at a previous VicSRC Congress.

Campaign history

Victorian students have raised issues with the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) for many years and in 2018 VicSRC called for the government to review senior secondary education. Some of the major concerns students have raised are the stigma around vocational and applied learning pathways and the lack of flexibility within the VCE pathway.

In 2019 the Victorian Government appointed former VCAA CEO John Firth to undertake a review of VCAL and to recommend changes to this certificate. VicSRC participated in this review through multiple consultations based on feedback collected by students over the past few years.

The recommendations of the Firth Review included reforming senior secondary education in Victoria to a new certificate to replace VCAL so that VCE had two pathways – an academic major and a vocational major. It also includes a Victorian Pathways Certificate to replace Foundational VCAL. 

In 2023, the VCE expanded to include the Vocational Major, meaning students can now study a new 2-year vocational and applied learning program within the VCE.

VicSRC has provided a great deal of feedback, participated in many consultations and workshops, and continues to represent Victorian students on the stakeholder reference group to oversee the implementation and design of the new senior secondary certificate.

In 2024, VicSRC will establish a Senior Secondary Pathways Reform Student Advisory Panel, with the support of the Victorian Department of Education, to offer students the opportunity to provide feedback directly with government with a focus on making senior secondary schooling better for every Victorian student.

Campaign timeline

What's happening now?

VicSRC is advising DET on the most effective ways to communicate the changes to the senior secondary certificate with students and will continue to provide feedback about how the reforms are being implemented and the impact on students.

A Senior Secondary Pathways Reform Student Advisory Panel will be established by VicSRC in early 2024 to talk directly with government about how to make senior secondary schooling better for every student in Victoria.

What does this mean for students?

A fully integrated senior secondary certificate will launch in 2025.