School's out for more than 42,000 Queensland Year 12s

Minister for Education and Training and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Rod Welford
20/11/2008

School's out for more than 42,000 Queensland Year 12s

Minister for Education and Training Rod Welford today congratulated the 42,400 Queensland Year 12 students who tomorrow (Friday 21 November) complete high school.

Mr Welford said the students had reached an important milestone in their lives and would soon embark on new pathways into employment, training or tertiary study.

"I congratulate the class of 2008 on their achievements during the past 12 years at school," Mr Welford said.

"This year's seniors will be the first to graduate with the new Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), which recognises a range of achievements by students from the start of Year 10 - including school-based academic performance as well as workplace, university and community achievements.

"I wish all graduating seniors the best of luck as they enter the next exciting phase of their lives. After celebrating the end of their school days, they will soon find jobs or start training or tertiary study."

Mr Welford said the next few weeks would be a time of excitement mixed with anxiety for some 24,800 state school and 17,600 non-state school graduates waiting for their results.

"The Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) will mail out Student Education Profiles (SEP), which includes the QCE and Tertiary Entrance Statement, to most students on Friday19 December," he said.

School leavers can also register for the QSA's Smart OP service at www.smartop.qsa.qld.edu.au between now and 5pm on 18 December.

Through Smart OP, students can view their Overall Position (OP) and Field Position (FP) online or by SMS from 9am on 20 December at least two days before they are notified in the mail, about 22 December. OPs and FPs are available via Smart OP until 5pm on 12 January 2009.

The QSA provides OPs only to individual students, their school principal and the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). Students have until Thursday 1 January to l odge tertiary preference changes with QTAC.

From 1am on 15 January students can access their tertiary offers via the QTAC website at www.qtac.edu.au. Tertiary offers will be published in The Courier-Mail and selected regional newspapers on Friday 16 January and posted to students on the same day. For more information, phone the QSA on 3864 0299 or QTAC on 1300 GO QTAC (1300 467 822).