President’s address

A CREDENTIAL WITH INTEGRITY

The Oxford Dictionary defines integrity as ‘the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles’. When I started thinking about the Higher School Certificate, the word ‘integrity’ was foremost in my thoughts. The reasoning behind this is that the HSC remains a credential with integrity that is acknowledged across the globe.

‘ … the HSC remains a credential with integrity that is acknowledged across the globe.’

What gives the HSC its well-deserved and strongly protected integrity is the hard work and honesty of thousands of students, such as yourselves, plus the many staff who each year work behind the scenes preparing and marking the papers, the presiding officers at the exams and, of course, teachers.

So how does a student approach their HSC with integrity?

Firstly, it’s a conscious decision to do yourself justice by making sure you give your best throughout your senior secondary years.

I can assure you that the Board of Studies, your school and your teachers are there to help you achieve this end.

Your teachers have the important role of making sure you are equipped with the knowledge to do your best and the Board of Studies provides additional support in the form of many resources to supplement your classroom learning.

Working together with each year’s HSC students, we have become a mighty trio.

We succeed because we share a common goal: for each student to be given every opportunity to do their very best.

But back to the definition, let’s look at being honest.

This involves another trio … one that also includes students:

our presiding officers at each examination centre – who ensure that the exams are conducted within the rules
our markers – who follow a stringent and transparent marking process so every student’s response is seen by at least two experienced markers
our students – who I am proud to say overwhelmingly respect the ‘All My Own Work’ agreement.

Now, to ‘having strong moral principles’.

For students, this involves acknowledging that the HSC is a challenge requiring a conscious decision to put the effort into working consistently throughout the senior years of school.

It is in your best interests that the community remains confident in the quality and integrity of the HSC. Your moral fortitude to accept and indeed embrace the challenge of the HSC has been unwavering and for that you have my deepest respect. The good news is that it is you who will reap the benefits.

‘The good news is that it is you who will reap the benefits.’

Each year when the results are released, I see it as an honour to add my signature to this credential as it speaks volumes about the integrity of each student who achieves it.

Please accept my best wishes for the exams ahead and for a happy, healthy and fulfilling life after school.

Tom Alegounarias BEc, DipEd