NSW Science syllabuses (physics, chem and bio) are a global embarrassment (2 Viewers)

[queetle]

i think the changes r good

 

[Bendwhat?_over]

Then consider moving there
I'm sure you get nothing out of complaining about other states instead of focusing on your own

???

 

[C2H6O]

NESA just released the new syllabus for 2027. Here are the notable changes.

- Getting rid of thermodynamics completely, a topic which would've been used again in engineering physics in uni - Getting rid of angular velocity ω - Removed multiple formulas from the formula sheet, including angular velocity and specific heat capacity. + Adding useless aboriginal crap (are you serious, leftists?) ++ Explain why Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples used inclined planes to move heavy objects ++ Describe how Aboriginal Peoples use the wave velocity and wavelength of water waves to approximate water depth ++ Analyse the motion of projectiles used by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples + Adding more useless qualitative stuff to rote learn for mod 7 and 8 + Added no new formulas at all, while removing atleast two.

It's crazy how NSW has one of the most rigorous and toughest mathematics exams in the western world, mathematics extension 2, then you look at our physics exam, you see how retarded and shallow it is.

New South Wales is stuck with the dumbest high school physics syllabus and exam in the world till the year 2037.

Let me just emphasis, physics is MEANT to be a fucking quantitative subject, not a fucking qualitative describing and essay writing subject. There's nothing gained from making kids learn more qualitative content just for the exams to follow a retarded "regurgitate what you just learnt" structure. With Mathematics Extension 2, we cover way less content than A Level Further Mathematics or IB Mathematics AA HL. However the general consensus among threads I've read is that our exams are much more novel and require critical mathematical thinking and aptitude, especially Questions 16 15 14. This emphasizes quality over quantity. However, the Physics HSC syllabus covers way less than something like A Level, yet our physics exams aren't even intellectually demanding in the slightest (if you count regurgitation and rote learning as intellectually demanding I'm sorry). Our physics exam are so trash. Section 1 is okay, but Section 2 (four fifths of the exam) in the HSC Physics paper fucking suck. There are literally NO intellectually demanding calculation questions. What separates a band 6 student from a band 5 physics student is not their quantitative ability and critical thinking, but rather their ability to write "beautifully". This is especially true for the ~20 marks worth of history reciting questions. Why the fuck can't the physics syllabus just be like the math extension 1 and 2 exams, where the last few questions are actually challenging quantitative questions? Why the fuck is NESA differentiating people on the basis of English writing skills rather than mathematical and actual physics skills? Your ability to write English esque analytical paragraphs on why Rutherford was such a hot guy has no bearing on your ability to perform well in university level physics at all. Here's what's incredibly ridiculous. Someone (99 ATAR) from my school got a 97 in mathematics extension 1, yet in Physics, they only received a 93 exam mark, corresponding to a raw mark below 88. Tell me how the fuck he lost atleast 12 marks? That's right, just cause he wasn't good at arts (English) he couldn't score in the high 90s. I guarantee his study score if he did the Victorian VCE would be somewhere in the 48/50. This guy has a very good memory and high IQ, just that he isn't good at beautiful writing. Our physics syllabus is so retarded that they moved stuff like harmonic motion into math extension 2, even though it really belongs in physics like how it is in A Level and IB. While all these physics exams (A Level, IB, AP) DO contain qualitative questions, they aren't retarded 9 markers which take up a whole page. The amount of lines VCE, A Level and IB give for the highest mark qualitative question is just 4 lines. Tell me why the fuck HSC physics paper need a retarded "analyse rutherford's impact on scientific knowledge" 9 marker with 20 lines? Only the HSC has an essay component worth approximately 9 marks in addition to other similar weighted questions. Now to the minor concerns, why the fuck do we need to include aboriginal stuff in a subject that doesn't require it? Not even the US - a notoriously sensitive society - with it's AP exams include stuff for LGBTQ+ and black people in their physics exam. They're literally not trying to hide their agenda anymore. I guess the next thing the leftists are going to do is add aboriginal numeric representation in the math standard syllabus? I really hope someone from NSW Education Standards Authority with some sense reads this and addresses the concerns here. This is seriously upsetting. This is not only unfair for STEM people, but it also leaves NSW students heavily underprepared in university physics compared to someone from like Victoria or Western Australia.

If you want to see what a good high school physics syllabus looks like (atleast for Australia), just look at our neighbors in Vic, VCE
https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/sites/default/files/Documents/exams/physics/2023/2023physics-w.pdf

If you want to see what a truly good high school physics syllabus looks by global standards, just look at A Level or IB
https://pmt.physicsandmathstutor.com/download/Physics/A-level/Past-Papers/AQA/Data Sheet.pdf
https://tuhsphysics.ttsd.k12.or.us/DocumentsAndLectures/Documents/Misc/DataBooklet2025.pdf
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OmHRxgLdYPkfQT0sip7i8z3ITy9c4sLY/view
pastpapers.papacambridge.com/viewer/caie/as-and-a-level-physics-9702-2025-may-june-9702-s25-qp-21-pdf
pastpapers.papacambridge.com/viewer/caie/as-and-a-level-physics-9702-2025-may-june-9702-s25-qp-41-pdf

Even the US learns more rigorous high school physics than Australia
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-physics-c-mechanics-equations-sheet.pdf
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-physics-2-equations-sheet.pdf
https://strachan.weebly.com/uploads/1/8/9/9/18994903/2016_physics_2_practice_exam.pdf
APs are just high school exams, and they already have more stuff plus calculus in their physics syllabus

The new shit stain of a syllabus for HSC physics is here:
https://curriculum.nsw.edu.au/learning-areas/science/physics-11-12-2025/content/year-12/fa915fab52

this is wild if it’s true
Changes to all the new syllabuses seem to just dumb down the subjects

 

[coolcat6778]

'It's crazy how NSW has one of the most rigorous and toughest mathematics exams in the western world, mathematics extension 2'

Oh I have to laugh
You go into an exam and you will definitely know most of Q11-14 already just from practice
Q15-16 is harder conceptually but still doable

Theres nothing 'hard' about Maths Ext 2

I'm literally talking for the majority of people. Also you shouldn't be saying any of this unless you scored atleast 85/100 raw. Did you?

Also, just look at Victorian math papers or even A Level papers, all the questions they do are routine like math advanced.

The thing is, even with something routine like Math Advanced, Math Advanced exams will always be more cognitively demanding compared to regurgitating learnt information (HSC Physics or history). This just proves my point even further, our physics exams just test fucking memorization and "creative writing".

 

[coolcat6778]

i think the changes r good

I mean if you can't even do standard maths I guess so, even though people doing standard or no maths would be a minority anyway

 

[coolcat6778]

Who gives a shit what you learn in high school
You're crying about them 'dumbing down' physics but its not like it would have any major influence in higher level education (Uni)
You basically learn everything from the start but at a much faster pace in Uni so therefore who cares

By this logic we should make the highest math level 2u math advanced since we learn what would've been covered in 3u and 4u in uni anyway? Are you hearing yourself? Now we're at an even more disadvantage from internationals with a real education or even just from VIC.

NSW high school shouldn't just an indoctrination camp for left-wing ideals (mandatory English and other useless crap)

Submissive people like you are the reason NESA is making radical changes without any resistance.

Just admit our science syllabus is one of the worst in the entire globe

 

[Eatham]

I'm so glad that someone has the same opinion as me. Why do we need to learn the quadratic formula in physics?? That is year 9 level maths!
When I signed up for physics I had no idea that it was just a history subject. Fair to teach about the evolution of models etc. But don't give us 9 markers to yap the syllabus dot points.

So disappointing that they screwed up this opportunity to make the course actually good. Then again, why should I care lmao. Not my issue anymore hahaha

 

[coolcat6778]

I'm so glad that someone has the same opinion as me. Why do we need to learn the quadratic formula in physics?? That is year 9 level maths!
When I signed up for physics I had no idea that it was just a history subject. Fair to teach about the evolution of models etc. But don't give us 9 markers to yap the syllabus dot points.

So disappointing that they screwed up this opportunity to make the course actually good. Then again, why should I care lmao. Not my issue anymore hahaha

Lol, NESA doesn't even think we know the quadratic formula with their shitty projectile motion question sample answers. They seperate the travel of an object into two seperate phases since they don't think we can compute s = ut + 1/2(at)^2 if s is a number other than zero

 

[killer queen]

that's actually insane, I always thought it was weird my friends were coming out of physics with 9-markers for homework - I get they want there to be no maths prerequisite but I dunno, there's so many better ways you could go about that...like for example you could learn some interesting theories instead, or introduce more formulas so even if someone doesn't do math they can learn how to use a formula? (like in standard they use formulas so they'd be able to do it. maybe it'll be harder conceptually, but they shouldn't just remove the physics from physics.) and instead of doing 8-markers on knowledge regurgitation wouldn't it be better to do application questions, like the ones where they give you a case study and you have to use the information they give you to figure something out? I dunno maybe I'm biased but wth

Lol, NESA doesn't even think we know the quadratic formula with their shitty projectile motion question sample answers. They seperate the travel of an object into two seperate phases

wait what the heck
how do you do projectile in physics

 

[Eatham]

Lol, NESA doesn't even think we know the quadratic formula with their shitty projectile motion question sample answers. They seperate the travel of an object into two seperate phases

In my opinion, they should have created a physics extension subject. Less history, more applications.

Also side note, advanced maths should be the min requirement for physics not standard. Everyone doing standard are clearly not interested in pursuing maths, so why would they even chose physics??

 

[Eatham]

wait what the heck
how do you do projectile in physics

We get given formulas

 

[queetle]

nice one

e min requirement for physics not standard. Everyone doing standard are clearly not interested in pursuing maths, so why would they even chose physics

i like phys im 2nd rn lowkey its likef mod history.

 

[coolcat6778]

nice one

i like phys im 2nd rn lowkey its likef mod history.

"Don't bring bias into account when telling me why the new changes to physics (more writing less math) are good"

You don't even speak for the vast majority of people doing physics. Most people would've preferred much more math than currently

 

[Trebla]

There is no need to personally attack people for having different opinions. Thanks

 

[coolcat6778]

There is no need to personally attack people for having different opinions. Thanks

I'm curious to hear from you. Do you support this change, if so why?

 

[coolcat6778]

The HSC has never had an actual physics exam since the year 2000 due to left-wing politics

Dumbed down physics bores the brightest

www.smh.com.au

" The new-look HSC physics was introduced in 2000 to halt the exodus by students scared off by the course's difficult reputation. "

I'm sorry, you're telling me basic algebra is too hard for the vast majority of people?

But according to the University of NSW's associate professor of physics Joe Wolfe, the new version is producing many first year university students who are not capable of handling the complex maths required at tertiary level ... The history, politics of science and contextual discussions introduced into the HSC course have been at the expense of analytical reasoning and mathematical rigour, he said.

Yup this is true.

This pos shit boils my blood. This pos is the entire reason HSC Physics is fucking boring and unfair

The president of the NSW Board of Studies, Gordon Stanley, disagrees. The new syllabus had retained and even strengthened the discipline's basic laws and principles while also addressing contemporary developments and perspectives, he said.

This liberal arts oldie hasn't even touched a lick of actual physics in university. This oldie is responsible for the reprehensible hsc physics syllabus we have today. One of his waste of oxygen phd publications is "Secondary School External Examinations, fair or not?"

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-stanley-8687123b/details/experience/

He is the reason why HSC is so miserable. His only achievement is adding useless stuff like wood and metal working and building the foundations for the current English syllabus (which as you know, is fucking hell)

Yup, cause vocational education (your ability to cut up wood and glue them together) totally has bearing on your ability to handle a course in university. /s

 

[m_avi]

nice one

i like phys im 2nd rn lowkey its likef mod history.

are you accel?

 

[barnyard]

i see where they're coming from since they want to make hsc physics doable without needing to take math as a prerequisite

why should physics be doable without a maths prereq?? i completely agree with @Eatham that the prereq should be higher, it would open physics up to the possibility of teaching so much more cool stuff without worrying about standard kids who cant do calculus or other relatively simple maths
physics is jst being ruined atp, WHY would they add more of the shit stuff that everyone hates
especially if all the aboriginal stuff coolcat is talking about is true, i genuinely would reconsider doing physics if i had this new syllabus. i already hate the aboriginal people memorisation shit that they make us do in chem, it's a total memory game, why would they now bring it into physics too

 

[coolcat6778]

why should physics be doable without a maths prereq?? i completely agree with @Eatham that the prereq should be higher, it would open physics up to the possibility of teaching so much more cool stuff without worrying about standard kids who cant do calculus or other relatively simple maths
physics is jst being ruined atp, WHY would they add more of the shit stuff that everyone hates
especially if all the aboriginal stuff coolcat is talking about is true, i genuinely would reconsider doing physics if i had this new syllabus. i already hate the aboriginal people memorisation shit that they make us do in chem, it's a total memory game, why would they now bring it into physics too

These dot points are verbatim from https://curriculum.nsw.edu.au/learning-areas/science/physics-11-12-2025/content/year-12/fa915fab52. Aboriginal bs like this was absent in the 2017 syllabus.

- Explain why Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples used inclined planes to move heavy objects - Describe how Aboriginal Peoples use the wave velocity and wavelength of water waves to approximate water depth - Analyse the motion of projectiles used by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples - Relate Aboriginal Peoples’ Knowledge of different star colours to the type of nucleosynthesis reactions occurring in main sequence stars

This is actually so retarded it's pissing me the fuck off. They are clearly forcing an agenda onto us at this point. I don't think aboriginals cared about measuring the depth of fucking water, nor did they care about nucleosynthesis, nor the fuck did they ever use inclined planes

 

[barnyard]

why Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples used inclined planes to move heavy objects

probably for the same reasons any other people would do it

Relate Aboriginal Peoples’ Knowledge of different star colours to the type of nucleosynthesis reactions occurring in main sequence stars

rlly?? aboriginal people saw the SAME COLOURS, why are they being separated out like this