University students say alternative pathways ‘offer flexibility’ amid calls to reform ATAR

Like many high school students, Emma Connolly thought the only pathway to successful adulthood was to get an impressive ATAR score.

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“There was a lot of pressure, and the school would make it more stressful by saying how important our marks were and how hard university was going to be,” she said.

“It was very focused on that, and not much on student wellbeing.

“There was a real sense of looking down on the kids that didn’t do ATAR.”

Ms Connolly was one of many first-year students attending orientation events at Perth universities last week.

A musician played at Curtin University on Thursday as students milled in the campus forecourts between tours and preparatory classes.

This year’s cohort of WA students were entering the next phase of their education amid growing debate around how students qualified to attend university.

Historically, the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) has used exam results to prepare a student ranking or score.

That score determines if they meet the entrance requirement for a particular university course.

While that process remains a dominant pathway to university, entrance alternatives such as early admissions and bridging programs are increasingly being offered to students.

Tony Buti says ATAR makes students better prepared and more resilient as they enter university. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)

WA Education Minister Tony Buti earlier this year raised concerns too many high school students were choosing “easier” non-ATAR pathways to university to avoid the stress of final exams.

“Mental health is obviously incredibly important for every individual, but the reality is that you can’t go through life without some degree of stress,” he said in January.

“We have to also build resilience.”

The minister’s concerns related to new data from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority, which showed the number of students who studied four ATAR subjects in WA dropped by about 1,000 in 2022 from the previous year.

Ms Connolly, who was starting university this week through a bridging program, strongly disagreed that more students should be driven back to ATAR.

In 2015 she left high school to prioritise her mental health, which she said allowed for more flexibility to study and look after her wellbeing.

“I wasn’t in a good place and my marks would have been bad if I had stayed in school and done ATAR,” she said.

“At the same time, I was worried about looking lesser than, and that university just wasn’t possible for me.”

Having pushed through self-doubt and improved her mental health, Ms Connolly has now completed a diploma of commerce and enrolled to start a bachelor’s degree.

“It’s been really good for me,” she said.

“Because of the flexibility of alternative pathways, I was able to work part time, pay my rent and live out of home.”

Olivia Aves did a univeristy readiness program instead of doing ATAR.(ABC Radio Perth: Alicia Bridges)

First-year student Olivia Aves, who was also preparing to begin her studies in commerce last week, obtained her entrance score through a “university ready” program.

“There were a lot less exams and more assignments, and it got me ready for uni as well,” Ms Aves said.

Responding to the minister’s concerns that alternative pathways may not adequately prepare students for the stresses of university, Ms Aves said she felt better equipped by taking the non-ATAR approach.

She said the program she went through included units on plagiarism and referencing.

Avinesh Singh took ATAR in high school.(ABC Radio Perth: Alicia Bridges)

Students who did sit ATAR exams said although the process was stressful, it worked well to help them achieve their goals.

Avinesh Singh, who did ATAR exams in Year 11 and 12, said he needed to sit the exams to study his preferred subject of actuarial science.

But he also agreed there should be other avenues to attend university, adding that ATAR was not for everyone.

“All of a sudden, you’re sort of thrown into the deep end with all these tests and exams, and the whole idea of this kind of determines your future,” Mr Singh said. 

“So it’s quite intimidating and, I do admit, quite stressful.”

Amy Mance received an early admission offer from a university while she was still in Year 12.

Although she no longer needed an ATAR score to enter her preferred university course, she felt ATAR was likely the best way to prepare for many university degrees.

“Just because of the stress and the workload — they’re things you can’t really escape here,” Ms Mance said.

“I think being able to learn strategies to cope with that is really important.”

Ms Mance said pursuing an ATAR score was still encouraged at the high school she attended, but she had witnessed a change in attitudes during her school career.

Changing assessment

All Saints’ College is among dozens of schools across Australia participating in a Melbourne University trial aimed at transforming the way students are assessed.

College director of teaching and learning, Esther Hill, told ABC Radio Perth the new measures of success being tested would be used alongside ATAR — not instead of it.

She said it assessed a broader range of student capabilities, such as communication, collaboration, and problem solving.

Students Jasmine Goodall and Amy Mance agreed ATAR exams were stressful.(ABC Radio Perth: Alicia Bridges)

Ms Hill said she did not believe ATAR results provided an accurate representation of the capabilities of young people.

“[It is] judged in a way which is about doing well in tests and assessments in timed conditions,” she said.

“We know full well that that immediately excludes a whole range of students who might be neurodiverse, who might have a range of reasons why they don’t operate well in that environment.

“However, they’re incredibly intelligent, and they’re very, very capable. So do I think it needs to shift? Absolutely.”

Ms Hill said there were already universities that accepted students based on “capabilities-focused” credentials.

For now, Ms Connolly said pressure on students to sit ATAR exams meant they often felt no choice but to conform to what most of their peers were studying.

“It takes a lot of courage and bravery to split from the crowd and not do ATAR,” she said.

She said she hoped the system would continue to shift away from ATAR-focused studies for future generations of students.

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