"I'm finishing year 12," she replied and I've been thinking about her since.
When I finished year 12 it was in the middle of a recession and uni courses were difficult to access. I ended up repeating the year and improved my tertiary entrance score by around 30% and got into an arts degree.
This year will see a similar increase in demand for degrees with the rise in unemployment and the Coalition Government have decided to raise fees, rather than invest in more university places.
I recall reading a piece that suggested that the state of the job market when you enter full-time employment shapes your earnings over your life.
It brings into focus that the current year 12 students might be battling to start a degree, saddled with increased debt for their studies, and will then continue to see those annual letters reminding them of how much they owe on their qualifications for decades to come.
I hope she continues to find some solace in poetry.
