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NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)

Entry requirements for Stage 6 Languages courses where eligibility criteria apply

ACE 8008

Last Updated: 8 October 2021

Students need to meet specific eligibility criteria for some Stage 6 Languages courses. For each of these courses, students must apply for an eligibility determination by completing the relevant application form.

The principal needs to make eligibility decisions before the student enrols in the relevant Languages course.

Eligibility criteria apply to the following Year 11 and Year 12 courses:

  • [Language*] Beginners
  • [Language] Continuers where a [Language] in Context and/or a [Language] and Literature course exists
  • [Language] in Context courses where a [Language] and Literature course exists

* insert relevant language, eg Chinese

Eligibility criteria DO NOT apply to the following Year 11 and Year 12 courses:

  • Any Languages course which is the highest proficiency level available
  • Extension (these courses may only be studied concurrently with, or after completing, the HSC 2-unit [Language] Continuers course in the same language)

The HSC Languages Eligibility Criteria are set out in a common framework that describes course levels and target candidatures, and the continuum of language learning.

To be eligible for a course, a student must meet all eligibility criteria at the time of entry to that course.

For determining eligibility:

  • speakers of dialects and variants of a language are considered speakers of the standard language, eg Cantonese Chinese speakers are considered speakers of Mandarin
  • speakers of Indonesian and speakers of Malay are considered speakers of both languages
  • formal education is ‘education that is institutionalised, intentional and planned through public organizations [sic] and recognised private bodies, and -- in their totality -- constitute the formal education system of a country.' (UNESCO International Standard Classification of Education, 2011, para 36).

The principal of the school delivering the course determines eligibility.

The authority to determine eligibility is delegated to principals by NESA.

Documentary evidence supporting the principal’s determination must be retained by the school until the student completes the HSC language course.

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