Hard Work is the Key to Success

An article titled Debunking Myths by Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the OECD and Head of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), raised a number of questions, most notably: ‘Is educational success about inherited talent?’

In this study, PISA asked 15-year-old students what they know and can do with what they know and what they believe makes them successful. In many countries, the students blamed almost everything except themselves for not performing well. The findings in 2012 found that three-quarters of French students felt the course material was too difficult and their teachers did not engage them enough with the material, while half said their teachers did not explain the content well. France is an average performer on the PISA.

In contrast, students in Singapore believed if they worked hard enough and trusted their teachers they would succeed. Singapore is the top ranking country for PISA. Schleicher suggests that the different attitudes and beliefs held by students in different countries are a contributing factor to their educational success and that instilling the values that foster success in education is key to making a difference. This belief is supported in the PISA findings that:

  • In most of the countries where students expect to work hard to achieve, ‘virtually all students reach consistently high performance standards’.
  • The curriculums offered in those high performing countries have a high level of cognitive demand.

Another point raised in the article was teacher belief in students. The article suggests that teachers may not put high demands on students if they feel they might not cope academically or with the high workload associated with the demand. I think there is some truth in this statement.

In Australia, we also factor in wellbeing and the pastoral care of our students. That is not to say we cannot raise the demands on our students to lift academically. I believe we first need to instil in children the belief that they need to work hard in order to achieve and that through hard work and persistence, they can and will achieve. This cannot be achieved by teachers alone. This message to students cannot just sit within schools and then disappear outside those boundaries. This needs to be a constant message supported by home, schools and the community.

Australia’s 2015 PISA results: Overall, placing 14th in Science, 16th in reading and 25th in Mathematics, of 72 participating countries and economies.

Results of the next PISA round will be released on 3 December 2019.

References:

Ms Karen McArdle, Head of the Junior School
Year 4 News

In readiness for the Official Opening of the ‘new’ Barbreck, the Year 4 students took the opportunity to link this most significant event in the School’s history with their current Humanities curriculum.

The girls were very excited to learn that Her Excellency, The Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria, was also a student of St Catherine’s.

As members of their own School community, the girls were given the opportunity to research Her Excellency’s past links with St Catherine’s and how she became the Governor of Victoria. With this historical information and background knowledge, the girls then wrote about their anticipation and feelings about the Opening of Barbreck before the event, describing how it made them feel to be a part of the St Catherine’s School community. After the excitement of the official proceedings, they then reflected on such a momentous day in St Catherine’s history.

Please enjoy reading some of the girls’ before and after reflections:

“I am really excited for the Opening of Barbreck because I have never felt fully a member yet of Barbreck and after this I will… As I walked to sit in my chair I was bursting like a bubble, then at 10:33am I saw The Hon. Linda Dessau!” – Isla Morris.

“I am very excited, happy and nervous about the Official Opening of Barbreck. This is my first year at St Catherine’s Barbreck Junior School, one of the important guests is The Hon. Linda Dessau AC, first female Governor of Victoria, she is a lovely woman. She also went to St Catherine’s so we have been following her footsteps all along.” – Louisa Liao.

“I felt on top of the world when I met the Governor. My highlight was when The Hon. Linda Dessau AC cut the blue ribbon.” – Chloe Nash.

“The day was as great as I thought it would be, the meaningful speeches, unzipping of the big blue ribbon and singing, as loud as a dragon but as charming as a tribe of tigers.”Frankie Vasilopoulos.

“I waited until it was my turn to go on stage and remember I was terrified that I was going to mess up. I said my line perfectly and then the tiniest thing lit me up like a lightbulb. The Hon. Linda Dessau shook MY hand. That was very exciting.” – Polly Moir.

The Year 4 St Catherine’s students were excited to be part of the Official Opening of the new Junior School – Barbreck.

Mr Tim Tainsh, Year 4 Teacher