"Throughout the year, I have watched and listened as many of my peers have expressed their desperation and frustration towards year 12. The stringent and at times suffocating nature of the education system caused many of those around me to vent their exasperations and stresses with frequency and fervour. I, myself, was not immune to these experiences. However, what truly vexed me was how those around me responded to the expressions of anguish by myself and my classmates. Instead of expressing a sense of compassion, many would deflect such remarks with comments like ‘that’s just year 12.’ It forced me to consider the disregard and sense of normality which has developed towards the significant stress and negative impact year 12 has on many individuals."

View Zachary 's practitioners statement [PDF 32KB]