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Media Guide 2009 – Higher School Certificate and School Certificate

1. Important Dates

17 October

HSC Advice Line opens on 13 11 12.

20 October

Higher School Certificate written examinations begin.

5 November

HSC Advice Line closes at 10 pm.

9–13 November

School Certificate tests.

13 November

Higher School Certificate written examinations finish.

18 November

Students’ Assessment Rank Order notice available through Students Online.

10 December

School Certificate award documents arrive in schools.

15 December

First-in-course awards ceremony.

16 December

HSC results available to students by internet/SMS message/telephone.

HSC Merit list published on Board website after midday.

HSC Examination Inquiry Centre opens on 13 11 12.

17 December

Universities Admissions Centre releases ATAR rankings online for students (for information, see www.uac.edu.au).

18 December

HSC Student Results Summary delivered by mail.

Students receive written advice of ATAR rankings.

12 January

Formal HSC student credentials delivered by mail.

2. 2009 HSC Facts at a Glance

The Big Picture

Some interesting figures …

• This year there are 69 261 HSC students, the largest group ever to complete Year 12 in NSW.
• Most students will sit six exam papers each in about 750 exam centres including schools in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
• This year students have studied a total of 113 different courses and will sit written examinations in 111 courses (English Extension 2 and Music Extension do not have written examinations).
• Students will read from 13 million printed pages of questions and submit answers in 1.75 million writing booklets. From 2009, the HSC will be more environmentally friendly, with all exams printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. The FSC promotes better environmental and economic management of the world’s forests.
• A team of more than 30 people took nearly six weeks to pack all written examination papers for each exam centre, creating more than 50 000 parcels for distribution.
• The Board employs more than 5000 exam supervisors and more than 7000 markers.
• Since the 1990s, students have been able to choose to complete the HSC in as little as one year or as much as five years under the ‘Pathways’ option. Of the students who are eligible for the HSC in 2009, there are 3227 who have completed the requirements for an HSC over more than two years.

… and some interesting facts

• To obtain the HSC students must complete courses that total at least 22 units over Years 11 and 12 – at least 12 units in Year 11 and at least 10 units in Year 12.
• Examinations range from English to Latin, Physics to Drama, and Software Design and Development to Primary Industries.
• Automotive and Electrotechnology are new VET Frameworks that are available for the first time in the 2009 HSC.
• Schools have submitted their locally assessed marks for each student; this means 50 percent of students’ total HSC marks are already held on the Board’s secure system.
• As part of the Board’s ongoing plan to increase the use of computers and technology in exams, some markers will use ‘on-screen marking’, where they receive student responses and record the mark via the internet. This will apply to parts of the General Mathematics, Information Processes and Technology, Business Studies, Mathematics, Modern Hebrew, Vietnamese and some other language examinations.
• Approximately 10 percent of this year’s HSC marking and 15 percent of this year’s School Certificate marking will be done by markers on-screen. This is a separate initiative to the Board’s longstanding use of computers to scan and mark multiple-choice and some short-answer questions.
• Marking takes place at venues across NSW, including Sydney, Bathurst, Coffs Harbour, Gosford, Newcastle, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong.
• Several million individual marks are processed to produce students’ examination marks in each course. The HSC mark is the average of the examination mark and the school assessment mark.
• Each student’s performance is measured against consistent academic standards to create a fair and easily understood result.
• To help students better understand the HSC the Board of Studies has put together a new web-based explanation of How Your HSC Works. This nine-step description walks you through from Step 1, being eligible to start the HSC in Term 4, to the final Step 9, where results are delivered before Christmas the following year. More information about this web page can be found in section 5 – HSC Support.

Top 15 subjects by enrolment 2009

Subject	Total	(2008 position)
* The figure for English enrolments is always less than the total number of candidates because some students accelerate while others can take up to five years to complete the HSC.
1 English	65 171*	(1)
2 Mathematics	52 455	(2)
3 Business Studies	15 926	(3)
4 Biology	15 502	(4)
5 Studies of Religion	13 935	(6)
6 Personal Development, Health and PE	13 627	(5)
7 Ancient History	12 127	(7)
8 Chemistry	10 226	(8)
9 Modern History	9819	(10)
10 Visual Arts	9665	(9)
11 Physics	9184	(11)
12 Legal Studies	8371	(12)
13 Hospitality	7633	(13)
14 Economics	6214	(15)
15 Music	5711	(14)

Enrolment trends

The candidature for the 2009 HSC is the highest on record with 69 261 students enrolled in one or more courses.

The female to male ratio remains stable at 52 percent female students compared with 48 percent male students – unchanged since 2002.

With around 1300 more students this year than in 2008, there have been slight increases in student numbers for some courses. However, overall there have been no substantial changes in 12 months.

To allow for minor fluctuations in course enrolments from year to year, comparisons are provided using 2004 figures giving five years to illustrate any trends.

Some subject areas that may be of interest in 2009 are:

English

• English is the only mandatory subject in the HSC.
• The number of students taking the most demanding 2-unit course – English (Advanced) – stands at 27 389 students, representing 42 percent of all English enrolments and an increase of 1 percent on 2004.
• With the continuing growth in overall candidates for the HSC, English (Standard) enrolments have increased by 6 percent since 2004, and English as a Second Language has increased by 8 percent in the same period.

Mathematics

• More than 52 400 Year 12 students have chosen to take a mathematics course, which is by far the most popular HSC elective subject.
• This means 76 percent of all Year 12 students have completed a two-year mathematics course.
• Of the total number of students eligible for an HSC in 2009, over 55 500 students, or 86 percent, are sitting a mathematics exam

Science

• Around 44 percent of all HSC students are studying at least one science course.
• There continues to be strong growth in most HSC science courses as NSW bucks the trend for a decline in science study seen in some other places.
• Biology, with 15 502 candidates, remains the fourth largest HSC subject. Since 2004 the number of students taking Biology has increased by 18 percent.
• Chemistry continues to be the eighth largest subject with 10 226 students and Physics the eleventh largest with 9184.
• Senior Science enrolments have risen 21 percent from 4044 students in 2004 to 4874 students this year.
• While still a small course, enrolments for Earth and Environmental Science have increased by 10 percent on last year, rising from 1272 to 1405, and 24 percent since 2004, up from 1131.

History

• More than one quarter (29 percent) of HSC candidates are enrolled in at least one history course.
• Ancient History has the seventh largest enrolment of HSC subjects with 12 127 students – an increase of 25 percent on 2004. Modern History returned to its place as the ninth largest course (9819 students) after being briefly overtaken by Visual Arts in 2008.
• As part of Ancient History’s continuing growth in enrolments, this year there are 500 more boys studying Ancient History than in 2008, narrowing the gap between boys’ and girls’ enrolments in this course.
• There are 2210 students studying both Ancient and Modern History this year.

Aboriginal Studies

• Although Aboriginal Studies remains a small candidature course, enrolments increased to 340 students in 2009, an increase of 19.3 percent from 2008 and 39 percent since 2004.

Business Studies

• Business Studies is the third most popular subject with 15 926 students in 2009, representing 23 percent of all HSC candidates.
• Enrolments in this course have remained steady over the past five years.

Studies of Religion

• Studies of Religion is now the fifth most popular subject with 13 935 students in 2009, representing 20 percent of all HSC candidates and increasing from 17 percent in 2004. The Studies of Religion II course has grown by 70 percent since 2004, from 2341 students to 3979.

Technology courses

• Almost one-third (31 percent) of HSC candidates are enrolled in at least one technology course.
• Textiles and Design enrolments (2184) have risen by 26 percent since 2004, while student numbers for Engineering Studies (1643) have grown by 15 percent and Food Technology (3477) numbers have increased by 9 percent in the same period. Vocational Education and Training (VET)
• There are almost 19 000 students in Year 12 doing one or more VET Framework courses, with a further 2400 enrolled in other non-Framework VET courses. This means nearly one in three candidates will gain nationally recognised employment qualifications along with their HSC this year.
• A high percentage of VET students have opted to take examinations as part of their assessment, making their course eligible for an ATAR ranking. For example, 86 percent of Hospitality students and 85 percent of Entertainment Industry students have chosen to sit the written HSC exam.
• One of the fastest growing VET courses is Entertainment (1113), which has increased by 148 percent since 2004. Metal and Engineering enrolments (1103) have increased by 52 percent and Construction numbers (2514) have risen by 37 percent in the same period.
• Automotive (717 students) and Electrotechnology (265 students) are new Frameworks available for the first time in 2009. About 50 of these students are undertaking these Frameworks as part of a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship.

Creative Arts

• Visual Arts is the tenth most popular subject with 9665 students. This represents a 13 percent increase in students since 2004, when there were 8571 in Visual Arts.
• Enrolments in Music courses have increased by about 23 percent since 2004, with Music being the fifteenth most popular subject in 2009.
• Dance has shown the greatest growth from last year with an increase of 14 percent (from 681 students in 2008 to 775 in 2009) and an increase of 17 percent since 2004.

Languages

• About 10 percent of HSC candidates are enrolled in one or more language courses.
• This year’s three most popular languages are Japanese (1627 students), Chinese (1617) and French (1439).
• Some language courses have shown significant increases in student enrolments since 2004. These include Vietnamese Continuers (60 percent), Chinese Continuers (39 percent), Japanese Beginners (32 percent) and Latin Extension (23 percent).
• The 10 most popular language subjects include four European languages (French, Italian, German and Spanish) and four Asian languages (Japanese, Chinese Indonesian and

The top 10 languages by enrolment are:

Rank	Subject	Total	(2008 position)	Rank	Subject	Total	(2008 position)
1	Japanese	1627	(1)	6	Spanish	321	(6)
2	Chinese	1617	(3)	7	Arabic	218	(7)
3	French	1439	(2)	8	Indonesian	191	(9)
4	Italian	759	(4)	9	Latin	190	(8)
5	German	419	(5)	10	Vietnamese	166	(–)

3. 2009 HSC and SC Enrolment Statistics by Region

The following data are based on the Board of Studies regions. See the maps in Section 11 of this guide. Students doing the HSC outside of NSW and those studying by self-tuition are included in ‘Other categories’.

2009 HSC candidates by geographical location

Location	Female	Male	Total	Percentage
Metropolitan
Metropolitan East	5616	5555	11 171	16.1%
Metropolitan North	5260	5512	10 772	15.6%
Metropolitan North West	4378	4210	8588	12.4%
Metropolitan South West	5301	4916	10 217	14.8%
Total	20 555	20 193	40 748	58.8%
Country
Hunter	3873	3593	7466	10.8%
North Coast	2817	2396	5213	7.5%
North West	1152	941	2093	3.0%
Riverina	1728	1321	3049	4.4%
South Coast	3686	3280	6966	10.1%
Western	1734	1448	3182	4.6%
Total	14 990	12 979	27 969	40.4%
Other categories	209	335	544	0.8%
Total of all categories	35 754	33 507	69 261	100.0%

Candidates by institution type

School students	67 691	97.7%
TAFE students	1554	2.2%
Self-tuition students	16	<0.1%
Total	69 261

Some smaller regional breakdowns may be available on request.

2009 School Certificate candidates by geographical location

Location	Female	Male	Total	Percentage
Metropolitan
Metropolitan East	5262	5402	10 664	12.2%
Metropolitan North	5683	5792	11 475	13.1%
Metropolitan North West	5636	5862	11 498	13.1%
Metropolitan South West	6596	6824	13 420	15.3%
Total	23 177	23 880	47 057	53.7%
Country
Hunter	5462	5494	10 956	12.5%
North Coast	3799	3863	7662	8.7%
North West	1542	1577	3119	3.6%
Riverina	2353	2363	4716	5.4%
South Coast	4520	4650	9170	10.5%
Western	2267	2406	4673	5.3%
Total	19 943	20 353	40 296	46.0%
Other categories	108	123	231	0.3%
Total of all categories	43 228	44 356	87 584	100.0%

4. 2009 HSC Enrolment Statistics by Course

2009 HSC student enrolments by subject, course and gender

Course Name	Units	Male	Female	Total
Note: There are multiple courses available within each VET industry framework, allowing for flexible delivery throughout Stage 6. The courses have been combined to show entries in the base course, entries in any extension or specialisation courses, and entries in the optional examination. Due to the consolidation, no course number or unit value can be shown for these courses.
HSC Courses
Aboriginal Studies	2	125	215	340
Agriculture	2	634	631	1265
Ancient History	2	5266	6861	12 127
Biology	2	5909	9593	15 502
Business Studies	2	8090	7836	15 926
Chemistry	2	5552	4674	10 226
Community and Family Studies	2	306	4975	5281
Dance	2	53	722	775
Design and Technology	2	2150	1523	3673
Distinction Course – Cosmology	2	17	8	25
Distinction Course – Philosophy	2	27	21	48
Drama	2	1470	3345	4815
Earth and Environmental Science	2	743	662	1405
Economics	2	3785	2429	6214
Engineering Studies	2	1587	56	1643
English (Standard)	2	17 374	15 622	32 996
English (Advanced)	2	11 429	15 960	27 389
English as a Second Language	2	1654	1718	3372
English Extension 1	1	2135	3677	5812
English Extension 2	1	756	1480	2236
Food Technology	2	909	2568	3477
Geography	2	2495	2141	4636
Industrial Technology	2	3423	361	3784
Information Processes and Technology	2	3787	1420	5207
Legal Studies	2	3318	5053	8371
General Mathematics	2	15 285	15 189	30 474
Mathematics	2	9544	8086	17 630
Mathematics Extension 1	2	5138	3775	8913
Mathematics Extension 2	2	1932	1293	3225
Modern History	2	4451	5368	9819
History Extension	1	955	1405	2360
Music 1	2	2854	2104	4958
Music 2	2	345	393	738
Music Extension	1	212	235	447
Personal Development, Health and Physical Education	2	5884	7014	12 898
Physics	2	6878	2306	9184
Senior Science	2	2649	2225	4874
Society and Culture	2	722	3272	3994
Software Design and Development	2	1624	135	1759
Studies of Religion I	1	4742	5214	9956
Studies of Religion II	2	1357	2622	3979
Textiles and Design	2	41	2143	2184
Visual Arts	2	2839	6826	9665
Languages
Arabic Continuers	2	86	132	218
Arabic Extension	1	32	29	61
Armenian Continuers	2	10	18	28
Chinese Background Speakers	2	718	759	1477
Chinese Beginners	2	1	8	9
Chinese Continuers	2	55	76	131
Chinese Extension	1	26	32	58
Classical Greek Continuers	2	9	2	11
Classical Greek Extension	1	6	2	8
Classical Hebrew Continuers	2	16	21	37
Classical Hebrew Extension	1	13	13	26
Croatian Continuers	2	9	8	17
Dutch Continuers	2	5	0	5
Filipino Continuers	2	18	19	37
French Beginners	2	92	444	536
French Continuers	2	275	615	890
French Extension	1	75	142	217
German Beginners	2	30	55	85
German Continuers	2	130	202	332
German Extension	1	39	66	105
Hindi Continuers	2	12	11	23
Hungarian Continuers	2	2	2	4
Indonesian Background Speakers	2	33	51	84
Indonesian Beginners	2	7	23	30
Indonesian Continuers	2	26	51	77
Indonesian Extension	1	6	19	25
Italian Beginners	2	116	302	418
Italian Continuers	2	81	255	336
Italian Extension	1	21	47	68
Japanese Background Speakers	2	8	19	27
Japanese Beginners	2	284	509	793
Japanese Continuers	2	284	519	803
Japanese Extension	1	116	175	291
Khmer Continuers	2	3	13	16
Korean Background Speakers	2	30	68	98
Latin Continuers	2	106	79	185
Latin Extension	2	62	40	102
Macedonian Continuers	1	7	20	27
Malay Background Speakers	2	0	1	1
Maltese Continuers	2	2	4	6
Modern Greek Beginners	2	13	31	44
Modern Greek Continuers	2	30	86	116
Modern Greek Extension	2	14	31	45
Modern Hebrew Continuers	1	10	29	39
Persian Background Speakers	2	7	20	27
Polish Continuers	2	19	16	35
Portuguese Continuers	2	7	12	19
Russian Background Speakers	2	14	7	21
Serbian Continuers	2	14	18	32
Spanish Beginners	2	32	97	129
Spanish Continuers	2	67	125	192
Spanish Extension	1	23	52	75
Swedish Continuers	2	1	5	6
Tamil Continuers	2	12	15	27
Turkish Continuers	2	21	35	56
Ukrainian Continuers	2	2	1	3
Vietnamese Continuers	2	75	91	166
Vocational Education and Training
Accounting	2	228	272	500
Automotive		630	38	668
Automotive Specialisation Study		56	7	63
Automotive Examination		231	13	244
Business Services		652	1946	2598
Business Services Extension		2	9	11
Business Services Examination	2	407	1461	1868
Construction		2473	41	2514
Construction Specialisation Study		127	0	127
Construction Examination	2	1932	29	1961
Electrotechnology		235	3	238
Electrotechnology Extension		32	0	32
Electrotechnology Examination		131	1	132
Entertainment Industry		513	600	1113
Entertainment Industry Examination	2	430	519	949
Hospitality		2405	5223	7628
Hospitality Extension		53	122	175
Hospitality Examination	2	2016	4568	6584
Information Technology		1817	616	2433
Information Technology Specialisation Study		61	8	69
Information Technology Examination	2	1509	457	1966
Metal and Engineering		1087	16	1103
Metal and Engineering Specialisation Study		83	2	85
Metal and Engineering Examination	2	785	13	798
Primary Industries		494	290	784
Primary Industries Specialisation Study		6	11	17
Primary Industries Examination	2	316	230	546
Retail Services		560	1488	2048
Retail Services Specialisation Study		0	9	9
Retail Services Examination	2	400	1112	1512
Tourism		48	461	509
Tourism Extension		3	37	40
Tourism Examination	2	32	314	346
Life Skills
Citizenship and Society Life Skills	2	353	270	623
Creative Arts Life Skills	2	360	301	661
English Life Skills	2	798	590	1388
Mathematics Life Skills	2	607	459	1066
Personal Development, Health and PE Life Skills	2	417	312	729
Science Life Skills	2	254	176	430
Technology and Applied Studies Life Skills	2	429	291	720
Work and the Community Life Skills	2	457	379	836

5. HSC Support

Students Online

Students Online, the Board of Studies website for HSC students, brings all the Board’s HSC resources together in the one place and is available 24 hours a day, every day.

Students log in to studentsonline.bos.nsw.edu.au using their four-digit personal identification number (PIN) and student number, which gives them access to their own exam timetable and past exam papers in their courses. They can also access HSC syllabuses, practice tests, notes from markers and other support materials, and customise the site to suit their study needs.

The website also includes:

• access to a variety of pods, such as News, Past Papers and Practice Tests, and the ability for students to keep the pods they want and hide the ones they don’t to create their own home page
• an interactive ‘To Do’ pod where they can make notes and set their study and assignment priorities
• an interactive essential links pod where students can add links to their favourite sites
• answers to more than 100 frequently asked questions about the HSC
• access to Assessment Rank Order Notices.

The HSC Advice Line – 13 11 12

The Advice Line is a telephone information service for students preparing for the HSC examinations. It provides advice on 20 major courses as part of an after-hours and weekend service leading up to and during the examination period.

The 2009 Advice Line will operate from Saturday 17 October until Thursday 5 November.

The service is open:

Monday to Thursday

4 pm to 10 pm

Saturday

10 am to 6 pm

Sunday

10 am to 10 pm

To speak to an adviser, students call 13 11 12. An operator will confirm the student’s details, record the nature of their question and arrange for an adviser to speak with them. All advisers are very experienced teachers of HSC courses.

The cost is only 25 cents from anywhere in NSW, no matter how long the call lasts. Calls to the Advice Line cannot be made from mobile phones.

Course	Dates	Course	Dates
Ancient History	24–25 October	General Mathematics	24–25 October
Biology	26–28 October	History Extension	4–5 November
Business Studies	17–19 October	Legal Studies	1–3 November
Chemistry	31 Oct – 1 Nov	Mathematics	24–26 October
Economics	2–4 November	Mathematics Extension 1	24–27 October
English (ESL)	17–22 October	Mathematics Extension 2	24–26 October
English Standard	17–22 October	Modern History	31 Oct – 2 Nov
English Advanced	17–22 October	PD/Health/PE	27–29 October
English Extension 1	28–29 October	Physics	1–3 November
		Studies of Religion I/II	19–21 October

6. How Your HSC Works in Nine Steps

Every year the Board receives questions from students and parents about the HSC and how it works. They ask questions such as: What is moderation? How do you check your assessment ranking? Who sets the exams?

To help students understand how all these parts come together, the Board has put together a new web-based description of How Your HSC Works. The process is divided into nine big steps, walking students through from Step 1, being eligible to start the HSC, to the final Step 9 where results are delivered.

In between, the steps describe such things as where exam papers come from and where they go, and how we know exactly where each student’s marks are at any time. And just as some people only want to know how to drive a car, while others also want to understand the fuel injection system, there are different levels of information in each of the nine steps.

There are interesting facts as well. Where else could you find out that a gathering of all the HSC students, markers, supervisors and support staff would fill the Sydney Olympic Stadium? Or that in the Class of 2009, Nguyen is the second most common surname and Daniel Brown is the most common first and last name combination?

Designed with Year 11 students in mind, How Your HSC Works will be useful for anyone with an interest in how many checks and balances are in place to guarantee the quality of the HSC results.

7. Release of HSC Results to Students

The HSC results are available to students via the internet, SMS text message and automated telephone services from 6 am on Wednesday 16 December 2009. Students will receive HSC results summaries in the mail on Friday 18 December and their full credentials by mail on Tuesday 12 January 2010.

The pre-Christmas release of HSC results gives students more time to take advantage of career information and other support services before making decisions about university, TAFE and employment offers or other plans.

The Internet Results Service

• Students can access their HSC results on three Board of Studies websites from 6 am on Wednesday 16 December by typing in their student number and PIN at:
  www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au
  or
  www.hscresults.nsw.edu.au
  or
  www.hsc-results.nsw.edu.au
• There is no cost to students who use one of these websites other than the charges applied by their internet service provider and/or the cost of the call.

Release of results by SMS text message – 0427 659 900

• Students who want to automatically receive their HSC results by SMS can pre-register for the SMS service by text-messaging their student number and PIN to 0427 659 900 from 9 November 2009.
• A return text message to the student confirms that they have registered for the service and the results will be sent to their mobile phone at approximately 6 am on 16 December.
• Students who do not pre-register can still get their results by SMS by messaging their student number and PIN to the service after 6 am on 16 December.
• Students should check that their phone is in credit and that there is room for messages in their phone’s inbox.
• The SMS service will be charged at the standard price of a text message.

The Telephone Results Service – 1300 669 248

• Students can access their HSC results from 6 am on Wednesday 16 December by using the automated telephone service.
• Students call 1300 669 248 and follow the voice prompts. They will be asked to enter their student number and PIN.
• Calls will be charged at standard local call rates. Mobile and payphone calls cost extra.

8. HSC Examination Inquiry Centre – 13 11 12

The HSC Examination Inquiry Centre will operate from 8 am on Wednesday 16 December until noon on Thursday 31 December 2009. Students can talk to experienced Board of Studies and school staff about their Higher School Certificate results.

Inquiries relating to the ATAR, university admissions, post-secondary education and work should be directed to the Universities Admissions Centre or the annual Careers Advisory Service for School Leavers.

9. Careers Advisory Service – www.cas.det.nsw.edu.au

Each year, following the release of the Higher School Certificate results, the NSW Department of Education and Training offers a free Careers Advisory Service which provides students and their families or caregivers with up-to-date and relevant information about the range of available career and study options.

The Careers Advisory Service will be open from Thursday 17 December 2009 to Friday
8 January 2010. Students can contact the service by calling 1300 300 687, or by emailing careers@det.nsw.edu.au.

More information and contact details are available at www.cas.det.nsw.edu.au.

10. HSC Showcases

Some HSC students of 2009 will be chosen to participate in a range of exhibitions and performances of outstanding works.

ARTEXPRESS

ARTEXPRESS is an annual exhibition of artworks created by students for the Higher School Certificate examination in Visual Arts. The works demonstrate exceptional quality across a broad range of subject matter, approaches, styles and media including painting, photography, drawing, graphics, sculpture, wearables, ceramics, design, film and video, computer-generated works and collection of works. ARTEXPRESS opens in Sydney in early 2010.

Callback

Callback is the showcase of exemplary performances and compositions by HSC Dance students. Callback is a great opportunity for students who are currently studying HSC Dance and for students contemplating undertaking this course of study to see outstanding performances. Callback opens in Sydney in February 2010.

ENCORE

ENCORE is an annual concert of outstanding music performances and compositions from HSC Music students. Held at the Sydney Opera House in March 2010, students present original compositions and performances in a range of styles and genres that include vocal music, chamber music, orchestral music, jazz, popular music and music for theatre.

DesignTECH

DesignTECH is an exhibition of outstanding Major Design Projects by HSC Design and Technology students. Opening at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney in late December 2009, the exhibition includes the students’ portfolios which provide valuable insights into the design and production process. Projects are selected for DesignTECH on the basis of innovative design, quality production techniques and technological applications.

OnSTAGE

Exemplary Drama students from the 2009 HSC will have an opportunity to present individual and group performances at OnSTAGE, held at the Seymour Theatre in Sydney in February 2010. Scripts, video dramas and design projects are also exhibited.

Texstyle

Texstyle is an exhibition of outstanding HSC Textiles and Design major projects, exhibited in Sydney and regional areas. Students choose to work in one of five focus areas – apparel, costume, textile art, furnishings and non-apparel. Texstyle opens at Federation House, Sydney, in December 2009.

Young Writers Showcase

The Young Writers Showcase is an anthology of major works presented by English Extension 2 students at the 2009 HSC. In previous years the CD-ROM has included performance poetry, speeches and multimedia work, while the book usually offers a selection of short stories, poetry, critical responses, scripts and the students’ reflection statements for all the works. The next book will be published in 2010.

See the Board’s website for showcase details as they are released.

11. Maps of Board of Studies Regions

New South Wales

Sydney Metropolitan

12. Media Inquiries

Please direct all your HSC media inquiries to:

Rebecca Lloyd

Head, Corporate Communications

Office of the Board of Studies

Tel: (02) 9367 8250

Mobile: 0418 418 053

Fax: (02) 9367 8035

Email: rebecca.lloyd@bos.nsw.edu.au

Guidelines for contacting students and schools

It’s important that students are free to concentrate solely on their exams. For this reason media outlets should not attend schools before or during exams.

• Mock-up shots after the exam can be arranged to provide images of students concentrating on their exam papers. Call the Board of Studies to make arrangements.
• Journalists seeking access to a government school or telephone interviews with teachers should contact a Department of Education and Training media liaison officer on (02) 9561 8501, preferably 24 hours in advance.
• Journalists seeking access to a non-government school should contact the school principal directly.
• Be aware that in some cases parental permission must be obtained for students to be photographed or filmed or otherwise identified or interviewed. Check this with the principal.
• Always notify the school principal on your arrival at the school.

Please call the above media inquiries number at any time with questions or special requests.

Additional media information and copies of this Media Guide can be found on the Board of Studies website www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au

13. Don’t Miss Out

The Board of Studies website is one of the largest and busiest education sites in the world. For anyone in the education community – teachers, principals, parents, students and others – this site contains essential reading.

So how do you keep track of what’s new and what’s important to you?

1. You can subscribe to our email notification service at http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/. When new items are published you will receive a message in your inbox the following morning containing links that you can follow if you’re interested in the content. You will never get more than one email from us per day, sometimes less. You can cut down your emails even further by selecting to subscribe to Official Notice alerts only. Official Notices are about important Board rules, procedures and syllabus changes.
2. You can subscribe to an RSS feed in your favourite News Reader (see the RSS icons at http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/).
3. Do you like your news in quick, short bites? Want to see BOS news as it happens? Want the choice of updates to your web-enabled mobile phone? Get your updates on Twitter by following NewsAtBOS.