Queensland Certificate of Education

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Queensland Certificate of Education

• An overview for parents and students
• of Queenslands new senior schooling
  qualification
• March 2006

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In this presentation

• The changes
• A new law for young Queenslanders
• Why a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE)?
• When does the QCE start?
• How does the QCE work?
• What to expect
• A summary of the QCE
• Find out more

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The changes

• Queensland Government commitment to increase the
  number of young people completing Year 12 from
  68 in 1998 to 88 in 2010
• new law requiring students to be earning or
  learning until they turn 17
• new senior qualification introduced to meet the
  needs of a much wider group of students
• recognition of a much wider range of learning
  options
• learning to include academic subjects, vocational
  education and training, employment, community and
  other projects and university subjects

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A new law for young Queenslanders

• Students stay at school until they finish Year 10
  or turn 16, whichever comes first
• After that, if not working at least 25 hours per
  week, young people need to
• stay in education or training for 2 more years,
  or
• get a QCE, or
• get a Certificate III vocational qualification
  or higher, or
• turn 17, whichever comes first
• There is an exception for young people working
  at least 25 hours per week
• All young people must be registered with the QSA
  in Year 10 or in the year before turning 16

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Why a Queensland Certificate of Education?

• The QCE
• aims to meet everyones needs, including those
  students who would normally have left school
  after Year 10
• is not a one size fits all approach to learning
• is about tailoring a package of learning, i.e.
  what, when and how each individual student learns
  to meet their individual needs

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How does the QCE work?

• a significant amount of learning
• at a set standard of achievement
• a literacy and numeracy requirement
• greater flexibility in what where when
• learning can occur
• based on students successfully completing 20
  credits

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A significant amount of learning

• The student has achieved
• 20 credits
• a minimum of 12 credits from completed core
  courses
• a maximum of 8 credits from a combination of
  core, preparatory, enrichment, advanced courses
  of study
• the requirement for literacy and numeracy

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A set standard of achievement

• For Authority and Authority-registered subjects,
  the agreed standard is a Sound Level of
  Achievement.
• For VET certificates, the agreed standard is
  Competence.
• For other courses of study recognised or approved
  by the QSA the agreed standard is a Pass or the
  equivalent.

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The four types of Learning

• Core
• Preparatory
• Enrichment
• Advanced

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QCE credit table
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When does the QCE start?

• students in Year 10 in 2006 will be the first to
  begin work towards a QCE
• the first QCEs will be awarded at the end of 2008

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The senior phase of learning
Career plan
Cert III
OP
Registration
Senior Statement
all learning achievements
CPCSE
Learning account
QCE
pattern and standard
Legislation Compulsory Participation Phase
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What to expect in Year 10

• students, parents and schools will plan together
• by the end of Year 10, agree on a plan of study
  for the senior phase of learning
• registration complete
• learning account opened
• intended learning option (ILO) recorded in
  learning account

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Three key stages

• 1. Planning what, where and when to study
• 2. Registering
• 3. Opening a learning account

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Stage 1 Planning

• From 2006, students in Year 10 will undertake
  career planning to develop their intended
  learning options (ILO).
• A SET plan is an example of such planning.
• The career plan will
• be finished by the end of Year 10
• structure each students learning around their
  abilities, interests and ambitions
• map out what, where and how a student will study
  during their senior phase of learning
• be agreed between student, their parents and
  school
• be reviewed regularly by schools and
• students

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Stage 2 Registration

• From 1 January 2006, schools must register their
  eligible students with the QSA.
• Schools register
• all students in Year 10 in 2006
• all students who turn 16 in 2006 and have not yet
  completed Year 10

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Stage 3 Learning account

• Registration with the QSA
• automatically opens a learning account for each
  student
• is password protected
• is used to record what, where and when students
  study
• records results towards a QCE

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Career Information Service site
Available directly at www.cis.qsa.qld.edu.au or
via the QSA website
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Its individualised

• students view their own learning account
• personalise by saving
• favourite courses and occupations
• favourite websites for information
• extra-curricular activities
• career pathway plan
• résumés, application letters

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A summary of the QCE

• The QCE attests to
• a significant amount of learning
• a set standard of achievement
• There is also a literacy and numeracy
  requirement.
• To attain a QCE, a student requires 20 credits
  (12 credits from completed core courses plus a
  maximum 8 credits from core, preparatory,
  enrichment and advanced) at a set standard.

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Find out more about the QCE

• ð QCE fact sheets
• 1. QCE overview
• 2. Stages of the senior phase of learning
• 3. New law and registering young people
• 4. Learning accounts
• 5. Credit table
• ð Talk to your school
• ð Contact the Queensland Studies Authority
• web www.qsa.qld.edu.au
• phone [phone]
• email qce_at_qsa.qld.edu.au