Airing on ABC, ABC iView and ABC ME as well as broadcast on YouTube.com, this episode of My Year 12 Life focused on students Angela, Tom, Alex and Shianna. It’s a few weeks in their final year, and the episode centres around some key issues faced by the students.
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Sport
One of the key issues of this episode was the role of sport in their final year.
Angela from Western Sydney, explains the struggles of having to balance her Taekwondo, with all her subjects, notably Japanese. She explains that her school has already sent her a couple of letters warning her that if she doesn’t keep up with all her schoolwork in Japanese, she might have to let it go. She comments that her parents would find it difficult if she decided to do so. This pressure all comes to fruition as her Taekwondo group gets chosen to represent Australia in a competition in New Zealand, resulting in her missing four days of school. At first, she is concerned that losing for days of school will result in too much work to catch up on, but getting awarded a prestigious silver and bronze medal, she is grateful when she returns home.
Alex from outer suburban Melbourne also has sports ambitions, chosen to represent Australian in an international Ultimate Frisbee competition. Alex has chosen to complete VCAL instead of acquiring an ATAR in his final year, as he desires to have more practical skills, rather than just have solely academic skills. He loves the work experience in within his dad’s company and easily manages the pressure of sport and education.
Finally, Tom also from Melbourne finds it difficult to balance is passion for AFL and education, as his heart is in football. His dream is to play AFL nationally one day.
Figuring out the Future
Again, Shianna’s diary entries raise the uncertainty young adults face in their final year of high-school. She contemplates whether to follow her heart to London (to the disapproval of her mother and boyfriend) or settle for the equally attractive Sydney, where she will be able to most likely keep her relationship with her boyfriend. She also questions whether her boyfriend really wants the same things as her, and whether his heart is truly in the decision-making of their future.
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