22 April 2020

By Anna Prytz

When teacher Adam Gonzalez saw the improvement in his school’s VCE results last year, he had to check twice.

‘I couldn’t believe it, that jump’, he said.

Mr Gonzalez, director of pedagogy and innovation at Mount St Joseph Girls’ College, Altona, had seen a lot of changes during his 10 years at the school, but he is now seeing the dramatic improvement in its results.

The college’s percentage of study scores above 40 has risen from 7 per cent in 2010 to 10.3 in 2019. Its median study score – the ranking a student gets for each subject – has made steady progress from 30 to 31.

Principal Kate Dishon said the results could actually be attributed to a reimagining of the school to focus on more than just results.

‘The girls are empowered, they do respond to being challenged and they do speak up. We do push that real element of being strong, young women.’

Part of empowering the students was changing the school’s uniform. This is just the second year that pants or shorts have been an option.

Mr Gonzalez said it was about giving the girls a voice.

‘I think it sends a really strong message of however you feel comfortable, that’s your choice.’

This is an extract of an article that was originally published in The Age on Thursday 16 April 2020.