Jewish students reassured over HSC clash
JEWISH students who might be affected by this year’s Higher School Certificate (HSC) timetable will be given accommodations on religious grounds, after it was announced on Wednesday that Succot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah fall within the examination period.
JEWISH students who might be affected by this year’s Higher School Certificate (HSC) timetable will be given accommodations on religious grounds, after it was announced on Wednesday that Succot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah fall within the examination period.
While no exams fall on the first two days of Succot for students at Jewish schools, it is possible that Jewish students at non-Jewish schools across NSW, who have not been identified, could still have exams on those days.
Exams on the first two days of Succot include senior science, metal and engineering, community and family studies, engineering studies, financial services and a number of language subjects.
Examinations are scheduled for Jewish schools and Jewish students at non-Jewish schools on Shemini Atzeret on October 24, and Simchat Torah on October 25.
“A small number of Jewish students may have an examination scheduled on one of these holy days,” a spokesperson for the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW (BOSTES) told The AJN.
“BOSTES will make alternative arrangements for any such students to ensure they are not disadvantaged.”
The spokesperson added that affected students should speak to their school principal.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Vic Alhadeff commended the Board of Studies “on going to great lengths to accommodate the needs of Jewish students and minimise the impact of the clash between the exams and Jewish festivals”.
“The Board of Deputies, the Jewish schools and BJE have worked with the Board of Studies for 18 months with the sole objective of securing the best possible outcome for Jewish students, and there is unanimous consensus that we have achieved the best arrangement that could realistically be hoped for,” he said.
Acknowledging that the Board of Studies has the needs of 80,000 students to consider, Alhadeff said, “It has done what it can to meet the requirements of Jewish students in the day schools as far as these are known, so much so that it has managed to keep the first two days of Succot free of exams for the Jewish schools.”
He added: “Where clashes do exist for any Jewish student in a state, Catholic or independent school, the Board of Studies will make accommodations on religious grounds.”
BJE principal and co-CEO Rachele Schonberger said, “We know that there are Jewish students across all sectors so we encourage them to speak to their school principal to talk about the alternatives.”
EVAN ZLATKIS
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