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Exam time: future holds more than tests can know

By Nina Funnell - posted Monday, 26 October 2009


As Jukes says: "Today we are preparing our children for jobs that don't exist, that will use technology that hasn't been invented, to solve problems that we haven't even begun to consider." Despite this, teens are often expected to have all the answers.

For most students then, the correct answer to being asked what career they seek is: "I'd tell you but the job hasn't been invented yet."

While my memories of the HSC are still fresh, I suspect many adults have forgotten just how tough high school and finishing exams can be.

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If they did remember, they wouldn't make unhelpful claims like "school days are the best of your life". The reality is that for most students, high school is like Lord of the Flies but with iPods and MySpace.

On International Youth Day this year, the Minister for Youth, Kate Ellis, released early findings from the State of Australia's Young People report. The news was not good.

The report revealed one in four young Australians have a mental health disorder, with many, especially girls, highlighting self-harm and unhealthy body image as huge issues. Cyber bullying is snowballing and many have experienced violence.

Young people face enormous challenges. Despite this, adults constantly scoff at generation Y for being the never-had-it-so-easy generation. Yet teens are expected to put up with conditions and pressures many adults would not tolerate.

If adults suddenly found themselves in the shoes of a high school student, most wouldn't rejoice. My bet is they'd unionise and demand talks with the current administration to negotiate fairer conditions.

So we should go a little easier on our young people. They are, after all, still finding their way.

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First published in the Sydney Morning Herald on October 19, 2009.



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About the Author

Nina Funnell is a freelance opinion writer and a researcher in the Journalism and Media Research Centre at the University of New South Wales. In the past she has had work published in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Age, The Brisbane Times and in the Sydney Star Observer. Nina often writes on gender and sexuality related issues and also sits on the management committee of the NSW Rape Crisis Centre.

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