Student joy as results come in

By Shaun Inguanzo
BOTH public and private school students throughout Greater Dandenong have excelled in their Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) results, announced earlier this week.
Haileybury College, Keysborough, students Wallace Wang, Peter Tao and Benedict Wong all learned this week they had achieved ENTER scores of 99.95, the highest possible scores in Victoria’s secondary schooling certificate.
Even more amazing is that Wallace and Benedict have each only been in Australia for two years, having to learn the English language and cope with a rigorous schedule of mathematics and science subjects.
Peter has already been offered a National Medical Scholarship with Melbourne University and will have his books and tertiary fees fully paid for, and receive a yearly $5000 grant.
The private school also had 41 students who ranked in the top five per cent of the state’s highest VCE achievers.
Public schools in the area also enjoyed strong results, with principals from Dandenong High School and Springvale Secondary College praising their students’ efforts.
Springvale Secondary College principal Mark Kosach said his students were one of the most disadvantaged groups in the state, considering many were from non-English speaking backgrounds.
“I am very, very pleased with the results with almost a third of our kids getting ENTER scores over 80,” he said.
“Most should get first round (tertiary study) offers, I am looking forward to when they come out early January.
“We have got a clientele that faces a lot of challenges, linguistically, culturally, and socioeconomically.”
The relatively small group of 35 students was tight-knit, Mr Kosach said, and each gave a moving speech at the college’s valedictory dinner in late November.
Mr Kosach said a special support program was in place to help students who did not pass their VCE with their future options.
Meanwhile, Dandenong High School’s 194-strong year 12 contingent is celebrating after 11 per cent of students gained ENTER scores between 92 and 99, with a further 15 per cent in the 80 to 90 ENTER band.
Principal Martin Culkin said he was proud of the students’ achievements.
“There were very good scores in English and English as a Second Language, and some science subjects, with study scores up around 48 and 49 (out of 50),” he said.
“This was an absolutely wonderful group of young people who I believe dedicated themselves to their studies and tasks diligently this year.
“They were a pleasure to have known.”