Students Go Online To Talk About School Success

News bulletin: 10 February 2010

Launched on Tuesday 2 February, Tell Us: Are you more than your marks is the first national study to be conducted on how young people view success at school.

The project is an initiative of The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) in partnership with the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) and aims at adding the voice of thousands of secondary students to the debate on how to measure a school’s success.

“Success in school should mean more than simplistic test scores on numeracy or literacy. It should mean: creativity, confidence, community involvement, caring for others, and developing a love of learning,” says CEO of FYA, Adam Smith.

Seventeen year-old Alexandra Adornetto, a recent Year 12 graduate, published author and Tell Us supporter, welcomes the survey and thinks expanding the definition of success in schools is long overdue.

“Exam results shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all of our time at school. We are so much more than our marks. Our interpersonal skills, the ability to entertain and help others, our creativity and teamwork should all be a part of what student achievement means.”

To have your say, go online at www.tellus.org.au and join the debate! Students will have the opportunity to complete a short online survey, win prizes and voice their opinions using video, text and photography.

All Tell Us findings will be released publicly and presented to Government later in the year.