ATAR - an important measure of school education, or is it time for change?

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ATAR. The simple acronym has grown to be a source of motivation and ambition, but at the same time, frustration, fear and anxiety for secondary school students, their teachers and parents. Come Year 12 exam time, it occupies the thoughts and dreams of thousands of hopeful students, and news headlines across various national publications. In recent months though, ATAR has been making headlines uncharacteristically early – not as a measure of how this year’s students have fared, but as a source of vigorous debate.