QCE Information Summary for Parents

Queensland Certificate of Education
From 2006, students in Year 10 will work towards a new school qualification.  It is the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE).  The first QCEs will be awarded to eligible students in 2008.

Eligibility for a QCE
To be eligible for a QCE, a student must be enrolled with a school and registered with the Queensland Studies Authority.  For most students the QCE will be achieved over Years 11 and 12.  Others may not achieve it until after they finish Year 12.
The total amount of learning required is at least twenty credits.  This reflects an amount of learning that could be reasonably achieved by most young people over a two-year, full-time program of study in the Senior Phase of Learning.

What is a credit?
A credit is the minimum amount of learning at the set standard that can contribute to the QCE.  A credit has two elements: an amount of learning and a set standard.
For example, a credit for a school subject is one semester (amount of learning) at Sound
Achievement (set standard) or a credit for a certificate II qualification is 25% (amount of learning) of the competencies (set standard).
Some learning achievements will be recorded in the Learning Account but will not be a credit because they either do not have the required amount of learning or they do not meet the set standard.
For example, a Very Limited Achievement in a school subject does not meet the set standard to be a credit.

New flexibility
The new qualification will recognise more learning options.  Students can design a program of study to match their career goals.  There is more flexibility in what, where and when learning occurs.
Not all the learning need take place at school.  Some learning can be with a registered training provider, in a workplace or with a community group.  The list of options is in the table.

The Senior Statement
The Senior Statement is an official record of all the learning achievements in a Learning Account.  It details: what learning was attempted, the standard achieved and, where and when the learning took place.
The QSA will issue the Senior Statement to young people who:

• have met the requirements for the Queensland Certificate of Education, or
• are attending a school, and have banked at least one achievement in their Learning
• Account, and are enrolled at a school until the prescribed date at the end of Year 12, or
• have completed a pattern of study which makes them OP eligible.

New laws
The QCE complements the Governments “learning or earning” laws which mean everyone will be required to complete Year 10 at school and go on to complete a further two years of education and training.

For more information:

• contact Marg Keetels, Deputy Head of School (Curriculum) on 3858 4515 or email keetelsm@marash.qld.edu.au
• visit the QSA website at www.qsa.qld.edu.au
• visit the Careers Information Service at www.cis.qsa.qld.edu.au
• visit the Department of Employment and Training at www.det.qld.gov.au for information about school-based apprenticeships and traineeships.

What is a Learning Account?

• QCE is a passport for students to move from school to work, training and further education.
• In 2006, Year 10 students will be the first to start working towards the QCE.
• QCE requires students to achieve a significant amount of learning at a set standard and to meet requirements in literacy and numeracy.
• QCE integrates new laws which take effect from 2006.
• These new laws require young people to stay at school until:
• they complete Year 10, or
• until they turn 16 whichever comes first.
• Then students will need to be – earning or learning.
• Thus they will need to participate in education and training for a further 2 years or until they have
• been awarded a QCE, or
• been issued with a Senior Statement, or
• been awarded a Certificate III vocational qualification, or
• turned 17.
• Students who enter full-time work after completing Year 10 or turning 16 will be exempted.
• Students who continue at school will receive a Senior Statement.
• Senior Statement records all the learning achievements a young person banks in their Learning Account.
• The Senior Statement complements the QCE.
• The Senior Statement details:
• what, where and when a student learns;
• the standard a student achieves.

What is a Learning Account?

• A secure, online Learning Account for each young person registered with QSA.
• Learning Accounts record all learning achievements, including those which contribute to QCE.
• Learning Accounts can be accessed by the student at any time.
• Learning Accounts remain open until student has achieved QCE.

How Does a Year 10 MCA Student Register for a Learning Account?

• The College registers him with QSA in the year before he turns 16.
• Once registered, the student will be assigned his Learning Unique Identifier (LUI).
• The LUI will enable the student and the College to access the student’s Learning Account.
• The Learning Account will be regularly updated.
• Only learning achievements in courses of study which meet the Quality Criteria can be banked to a Learning Account.

What about Certificates III & IV and the QCE?

• Students who study for some Certificates III and IV qualifications will need to drop up to two school subjects in order to complete the qualification over two years.

MCA STUDENT EDUCATION & TRAINING PLAN PROCESS

• Each Student’s Learning Pathway charted from Semester 3 (Year 9) by means of consultation between student and Head of House.
• All Year 10 students study a Careers Module in Semester 1 and Semester 2.
• All Year 10 students undertake Careers Testing by Allwell & Associates on 9 March, 2006.
• All Year 10 students encouraged to attend MCA Careers Expo in Champagnat Centre on 5 June, 2006, at which universities, trades and private providers will exhibit.
• All Year 10 students and parents encouraged to attend Course and Subject Selection Evening on Monday 7 August, 2006 in Champagnat Centre at 7pm.
• All students wishing to study the Applied Vocational Studies Course must apply to Mrs Joan Mason.   Application will be followed by a series of interviews.
• All students will confer with their Heads of House as part of Course and Subject Selection Process.
• Senior subjects will be chosen based on data gained from
• Allwell Career Testing
• Student Results and Teachers Comments on Report Cards
• Career Pathways Interest and Inclination
• Pre-requisites for Tertiary Courses
• Passion for Subject
• Each student’s
• SETP registered with QSA
• Marist College Ashgrove will provide details of each student’s learning and his achievements to QSA
• This information is then banked into each student’s learning account.  This account begins to grow towards a QCE as each student’s progress is recorded.
• MCA students in Year 10 2006 must demonstrate their eligibility to receive the QCE when they finish Year 12 in 2008.

To be eligible, each student must

• complete 20 credits (which can be earned from a broader range of learning such as)
• Authority subjects
• Authority-registered subjects
• Vocational Education and Training Certificates
• Certificates in such areas as music and drama
• Structured workplace learning
• Community service
• Tertiary subject whilst completing Year 12

            Please note that some of these learning will need to be quality approved by the QSA.

• obtain a set standard of achievement for learning
• meet set achievement levels in literacy and numeracy

            Please note that the procedures for the calculation of a student’s Overall Position (OP) will remain the same.