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The Hills Education Passport for the Future

03 Mar 22

The McKinsey Global Institute (2021) reported that the employees of the future need to be creative collaborators who embrace further learning, have the courage to imagine and enact blue sky thinking and who are resilient, adaptable, and agile enough to thrive in the complex, dynamic world of the future. We need to support and enable our students to move into the future with the belief and confidence that they can flourish.

Learning Creates Australia has been working with key stakeholders since 2020 to investigate alternative credentialing for students 15-19 years of age. In their 2020, report Recognition of learning success for all (Milligan, Luo, Kamei, Rice & Kheang) they stated:

"To thrive, a learner needs both breadth and depth of learning. Such learning should encompass attainment of the basic literacies and numeracies and mastery of discipline or domain knowledge. But it should also include knowhow in applying knowledge to create value for society and competence in general, transferable capabilities and dispositions."  

Across the country, governments and institutions have been discussing the development and instigation of alternative credentials that can provide a broader and deeper picture of what a student does, knows and can achieve. Universities are already offering bespoke course to their students. In 2022, it is time for schools to embrace and implement alternative credentialing that is personalised and complements their current academic reports and reflects the context and values of their school.

Ron Ayling, Principal of Hills Grammar School from 1985-1995, insightfully stated "I believe that education is about locating the genius in each and every child, that particle of the extraordinary, that glint of the divine, that resides in every single one of you, and moulding the path of its fulfilment." 

If schools are to locate the genius in every child, they need to offer more than a school report of a student’s grades and marks. They need to report on a child’s skills, knowledge and achievement beyond the curriculum and the school gates. This can easily be achieved through micro-credentialing.

The Hills Education Passport for the Future that our students, teachers and parents are developing will be achieved through the accumulation of micro-credentials, enabling students to discover and shine the light on their “genius”. We aim to not only awaken passions and inspire the pursuit of learning in the classroom but beyond, fostering each student’s potential for greatness. The Passport recognises that students are more than a grade. It validates the passion, knowledge, and skills that students already have, encouraging them to be agentic, committed, and responsible citizens who have the courage to move beyond their comfort zone and embrace learning beyond the curriculum to enrich and expand their skills and knowledge.

In 2020, Professor Shergold wrote about the need for an Australian Education Passport. He stated that “Students will be guided to recognise the attributes they have acquired through study in the classroom as well as from work experience, volunteering, and personal achievement...”  Hills’ students from Early Childhood through to Year 12 will be encouraged to look at the things that they currently do at Hills Grammar and in the community. It might be SLSC, a start-up, coaching a team, doing a Coursera course, volunteering, AMEB exams, a part-time job and so much more.

A micro-credential will be awarded across four domains where students can accumulate points:

  1. Principled responsible citizenship
  2. Innovative and ethical entrepreneurialism
  3. Altruism and advocacy
  4. Deeper water learning

It is like bespoke courses at university but far more varied and personalised. The students provide evidence of a specific skill, a course or an achievement and they will receive points based on the commitment, challenges, and level of what has been done. The students accumulate points towards the following levels:

  • Proficient: 50 points + in one or more domains
  • Bronze: 150 points across at least two domains­­
  • Silver: 450 points across at least three domains
  • Gold: 800 points across all four domains

A sample rubric has been provided for the fourth Domain Deeper water learning.

The Early Childhood to Year 6 credentialing will be adjusted to reflect the students’ ages and experiences. A certificate will be awarded in Semester 1 and 2. This approach to micro-credentialing is simple, cost effective and very easy to implement at any school.

When our Year 12 students apply for early entry to university, overseas universities, jobs, or university scholarships, they are required to provide a resume of their achievements. The Hills Education Passport will already have a record of all they have done and achieved during their time at Hills Grammar School.

The next step is to seek university and industry endorsement. However, what would be even more amazing, would be students doing bespoke university or industry micro-credentials in Year 9 and 10.

The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration states that their vision is for a “world class education system that encourages and supports every student to be the very best they can be, no matter where they live or what kind of learning challenges they may face” (2019, p.2).  If this declaration is to become more than words on a page, schools need to act now and enable their students to tap into their passions and interests and stretch and deepen their learning, so they have the confidence and courage to enter this dynamic and challenging world. I believe that by embracing an Education Passport at Hills Grammar, our students’ academic performance at school will improve as they will come to realise how much potential they have, how much they can achieve and how far they can go.

You can access the following reports of you are interested:

Karen Yager | Principal