Schools step away from individual distinction

JORDAN MOSHE

This is the rationale behind the decision taken by three schools – King David Victory Park (KDVP), Yeshiva College and Torah Academy – to break with the norm and not advertise individual matric results.

Instead, they have opted to recognise the success of their class as a whole. The Independent Examinations Board (IEB) also now requires the consent of pupils before publishing their results.

“Our aim is to respect every individual’s rights to privacy and to celebrate our results as a collective,” wrote KDVP head girl Danit Krawitz and head boy Gabriel Ferreira in a statement released by the school. “As a group, we understand that the achievements of our top students are to be celebrated with as much enthusiasm and pride as the achievements of other students who worked as hard to achieve results that they should be extremely proud of.”

They hope to reduce the stress caused by placing emphasis on marks, recognising how overwhelming it can be. “People often view matric results as an evaluation of a person’s worth,” they wrote. “The publication of individual marks reinforces the idea of evaluating people according to their matric results.”

The statement, which was published on social media earlier this month, was received with great enthusiasm and praise by KDVP parents and alumni, as well as the broader Jewish community.

“You just get what so many don’t,” commented Dean Cohen on Facebook. “What maturity, what amazing character. I hope that other schools follow this example. It’s so important.”

The rationale behind the decision at Yeshiva College was similar. In a joint statement made by new Yeshiva College directors Rob Long and Rebbetzin Natalie Altman, the school said that students had no problem with being represented as a class, with their achievements being showcased as one unit.

Long consulted at length with students, finding that more than two thirds were in favour of the change. “Some of the reasons given included the pervasive pressure in the community around individual achievement,” wrote Long and Altman. “The students felt that they did not want the results to differentiate between them, simply for the sake of publicity.

“While the stars of the class might be highlighted, it’s not worth the potential shame that might be felt by those that have not achieved at the same level.

“We agree with them. They are so much more than their matric results. The risk that we run of classifying them according to their results, and not by the level of their character and personality – which can never truly be quantified – is significant.”

The schools’ results as a group were made available to the media. This includes the total number of distinctions, the 100% university pass rate, and the fact that several students scored within the top 1%.

Krawitz and Ferreira stress that striking this balance is essential. “Publication of individual matric results creates and reinforces the idea that matric is a competition,” they say. “By releasing them as a unit, we hope to counter this misconception.”

“It’s precisely the publishing of individual results that negates personal achievement. The sentiment not to disclose individual marks was actually led by our top achieving students, who felt strongly that there were other students who had worked as hard as they had and, in many cases, had overcome barriers to learning. The group felt that singling out individuals purely based on marks was insensitive to those students who might not have scored as high on paper, but nevertheless deserved as much accolade and recognition.”

Should any individual student wish to disclose their results of their own accord, there is nothing to stop them from doing so. “Throughout our school career, our school has gone out of its way to reward and celebrate individual student achievement, and it has done so in a number of areas of interest including academics,” say the student leaders. “Whilst no doubt important, matric results are a reflection only of academic achievement.”

“As these students will step out into the ‘big wide world’, their individual results will play some part in recruitment processes,” say Long and Altman. “However, it will be their positivity, confidence, character, emotional intelligence, and deep sense of living lives of value and contribution that will be the overarching motivation for their success. We are thrilled as a school to have played a part in building both these aspects.”

Andrew Baker, the principal of KDVP High School, says the move is significant and brave. “There was a strong desire to go beyond the traditional press release featuring only a handful of students who achieved the highest accolades.

“I was initially shocked to see the response rate from our students where many of our highest achievers specifically requested that their results not be published. The rationale presented by the students made a lot of sense and resonated deeply with our value system and our aspirational goal of producing true menschen.”

He welcomes the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievement of every student who has worked hard to get the very best results that they can.

“We are a school of excellence, and excellence means working with each individual student to achieve their personal best,” he says. “There has been an overwhelming amount of positive comment and feedback from the community, and I hope that this is the beginning of a trend. It just feels right.”