Interview

John Palmer is the Senior School Academic Administration Co-ordinator at Sydney Church of England Grammar School, North Sydney. He also teaches Year 11 Advanced Maths and coaches cross country and tennis. If there is anyone who is qualified to give advice for students on how to approach school, it is John Palmer. Our editor, Joshua Read finds out…

So, from your own experience as a teacher, what do you think is the general attitude that students in Australia have towards their schooling?

Sadly, most school students view school as a means to getting a job or a place in a university, college or TAFE. Not many students think of school as the place where their mind is exercised and challenged, and that learning is an enjoyable experience. Others see school as a chore or something that has to be endured because parents or the government, or both, force them to go there for 12 or 13 years.

Do you think this is an appropriate attitude? Why do you think this is?

It is sad that the HSC mark is the thing that sums up a student’s school career. It would be great if the final two years were not so focussed on the ATAR and the competition for places at universities.

So, what do you think is the best general attitude that students should have towards their schooling as a whole and why?

A better attitude would be if students could see school as the place where they learn all the skills and get all the tools for life. School is the place that equips them to be responsible adults and decent members of the society that they live in. School gives them what they need to be contributors and not just consumers.

Do you think that students should take up all their time doing school, or are there other equally or more important things?

School should not just be study of academic subjects, but also there should be Christian studies, sport, drama, music, art, woodwork, metalwork, technology, community service, clubs and co-curricular activities. School is also the place where life-long friendships are forged. However, church, youth group, family, chores at home and time with friends are also just as important. As students get older a part-time job or volunteer work can also be a useful experience on the path to becoming a responsible adult.

What would you say to students who are getting burnt out and spending too much time and energy on school?

Six out of eight of my nephews and nieces did not excel at school and did not go to university. However, they have good adult lives and have grown up to be responsible citizens and parents. Another cousin went to university after spending five years rising up the ranks to become a manager of a world-renowned fast food restaurant. The five other cousins have not got university degrees, although two of them now work in the IT departments of a university/TAFE. School and the HSC will not determine your life’s destiny. It is just part of the journey of life.

So, considering all this, could you give some of your top tips to how students should approach school, balancing it out with the rest of their life and mental health?

Be realistic about what you can achieve with your studies whilst maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, friends and a social life. An ATAR does not determine who you are as a human being. Nor will it determine where you go or what you can do for the rest of your life. There are lots of opportunities and pathways in life for those who are prepared to work hard and are decent human beings. So, don’t stress about the HSC. Do try hard at your studies, but not to the detriment of your mental or physical well-being. If it all gets too much, go and get a job, and maybe later you might have the motivation and the desire to go to university. By then you might have discovered the thing that you really would like to study. Or you might find a career path in any number of other ways that have little or nothing to do with your HSC mark.

Well thank you very much for lending us your time and wisdom Mr Palmer.

Thank you! Hope it is helpful!