According to some teaching experts, high school days are fraught with tough education decisions, but students and parents could be making them harder than they should be.
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One of the most tortuous processes can be choosing what subjects to study - often years before children know what they want to be.
The common competing factors are an eye for a specific career versus what could be termed as an all-around approach to learning.
Heart and mind
It is a debate about classical education - with emphasis on subjects such as history, literature and language studies - as opposed to subjects with a vocational focus.
Fear of changing your mind and missing out on something 'better' later on is also a strong motivation.
"It is important to know that regardless of what students choose to study in their final years at school, they're not being locked into anything," Murdoch University future students senior manager Kerina Puttman said.
Her team works primarily with high school students and runs workshops with them.
"Some students know quite early they want to pursue a specific occupation, and they don't deviate," Ms Puttman said.
"Others may like to consider a wide range of course options and explore in more depth the types of careers they may lead to.
"The decision to make a selection between a few viable options for some can occur just weeks prior to starting at uni."
Ms Puttman believes choosing a direction is not just a matter of following your heart instead of your mind, or vice versa.
"What we're talking about here is interest (heart) and aptitude (mind)," she said.
"If a student has learning areas that they both enjoy, and are passing, then the subject choices become clearer.
"It's hard to do well in a subject that the student isn't interested in, or that they will struggle in.
"Both a classical education and a vocational education will provide learning and skills that are transferrable to studying at university.
"It comes down to what the student will most enjoy, and if they need to meet any subject prerequisites for their chosen university course.
"Students are not their end-of-school results," Ms Puttman said.
Reassurance
She offers words of reassurance:
- Year 12 results do not define the person, nor what career they will end up pursuing.
- It's OK not to know what you're going 'to be' (occupationally) when starting a degree.
- Universities offer a wide range of entry pathways if a student doesn't initially meet requirements.
- There is a lot of flexibility to change courses when at university.
Sara Ratner is a teacher and executive with leading Australian education technology services provider, Janison. She helps Janison deliver the platform for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Programme for International Student Assessment for schools. Australia is one of 15 countries using this assessment of 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics and science.
"My advice would always be to play to your strengths when it comes to subject selection," Mrs Ratner said
"If you're doing something you love, it's going to drive your engagement; you're motivated, you're going to do well."
Mrs Ratner adds the proviso that students should maximise their options. "There are certain universities you can't get into if you don't do a maths course or a science course, for example."
Mrs Ratner also believes the decisions are made early, even before the child reaches high school. She asks the same three questions to her daughter's primary school teachers every year:
- Is my child happy?
- Is my child kind to others?
- Does she have friends?
"If I'm raising a good human who is well-liked and has social skills to be able to get along with others, I know that the rest will come," Mrs Ratner said.
"It's perhaps a little bit of reframing of how we view the conversations we have around our children's development and growth.
"Making sure we're looking at the best interests of the whole child - and maximising all the opportunities."