We, the undersigned, call for the banning of the Higher School Certificate (HSC) in New South Wales. The HSC, originally designed to measure student achievement and provide fair opportunities for tertiary entry, has increasingly become an outdated and harmful system that places immense pressure on young people without accurately reflecting their abilities, potential, or future success.

The current exam-driven structure:

1. Damages student wellbeing: Year 12 students report extreme stress, burnout, and anxiety as a result of the high stakes of the HSC, often at the expense of their mental health and personal growth.
2. Limits creativity: The narrow focus  learning, rigid marking criteria, and timed exams does not prepare students for the real world, where collaboration, critical thinking, and adaptability are valued.
3. Creates inequity : Students from disadvantaged backgrounds face additional barriers such as limited access to resources, tutoring, and support, making the HSC an unfair measure of academic potential.

We believe education should inspire curiosity, foster resilience, and prepare students for life, not reduce them to a number on a piece of paper.  The HSC doesn’t define intelligence, it confines it — and it’s time we tore it down and built something better.