LINK 13: The VCE media debate - 1989-1992

Sep 20, 2026

The study examines media coverage and contestation surrounding the design and implementation of the new Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) across late 1989 to late 1992. It explains the debate’s complexity through the scale and duration of coverage, the electoral-driven political context culminating in the October 1992 elections, and the diverse actor network shaping representations. It also contrasts two major newspapers’ editorial traditions and styles, using extracted articles from the Age and the Herald Sun as core sources.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages50

Reading Time2 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Method

LINK 13: The VCE media debate: 1989-1992. Jack Keating and Sujatha Pannel Introduction A case study of the media coverage of the debate and contestation over the design and implementation of the new Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) during the three years of late 1989 to late 1992 is complex. The complexity is a result in the first instance of the size of the study. The debate and contestation was over a long period of three years and it generated an enormous amount of media coverage. This was located mainly in the two major state wide newspapers, the Age and the Herald Sun. However, it spread to regional and national news papers, and the electronic media, including a state government funded media campaign. The complexity is also a result of the role the VCE debate had in the broader political contestation that was to culminate in the October 1992 elections when the incumbent Labor Government was defeated and replaced by a Liberal Party Government. Early criticism of the VCE, especially from some influential actors, led the Liberal Party to identify it as a potential election issue. Although this position was not taken by the National Party, the politicisation of the new certificate did much to shape the nature of its public debate. The criticisms tended to be linked with the supposed weaknesses of the government: ideologically driven, too influenced by certain interests, and administratively incompetent. In the context of the recession of 1990-92, which hit Victoria with its manufacturing base harder than other states, and the associated problems of major financial loses through an investment bank failure, the Labor government was vulnerable. A third factor that contributes to the complexity is the nature of the actors. The debate attracted contributions from politicians, university academics and leaders, principals and teachers, school system leaders, teacher and principal organisation officials, journalists, business and social commentators, and sundry members of the public. In many cases these contributions exploited the opportunity of the VCE to express views and issues that were at time tangential to the design of the new certificate. The VCE debate, as a case study is heavily influenced by its politicisation within the electoral cycle. However, this influence was not total as the debate emerged before a decision was taken by the then Liberal Party Opposition to use it as an electoral issue. Criticism of the VCE emerged from a number of sources and took clear forms. The sources included the Vice Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, and teachers and school leaders, mainly from independent and more academic schools. These different actors carried ideologies and were attached to institutional forms. As such the media representations ofthe issues were influenced by the behaviours ofthe actors, their ideologies and the associated institutional forms. A further variable was the characteristics of the media itself. The study concentrates upon the two state daily newspapers. These papers have different editorial traditions, readerships, and styles. They also had different histories. The Age has a long liberal tradition, a strong readership amongst educational professionals, and positioned itself as a positive contributor to educational debate and development. The Herald Sun was formed from daily morning and afternoon papers during the period of the VCE debate. It was and remains tabloid in its style and conservative in its political orientation. Method The main sources of material for the study are extracts from the Age during the period – late 1989 to late 1992 and the Herald-Sun from mid 1991to mid 1992. Prior to mid 1991 two papers – the Sun and the Herald had existed – albeit under conjoint editorial regimes. As a consequence the long debate over the VCE was played out most strongly in its pages, with numerous opinion pieces, letters and editorials over the three years. In the lead up to 1992 s

FAQs

What is the focus of the study described in the introduction?

The study focuses on the media coverage and contestation over how the new VCE was designed and implemented during the period from late 1989 to late 1992.

Why does the text describe the VCE debate as complex?

It is complex because of the debate’s large size and three-year duration, its role in broader political contestation leading to the 1992 elections, and the variety of actors contributing to public discussion.

What newspapers and time ranges are used as main sources in the method?

The study uses extracts from the Age (late 1989 to late 1992) and the Herald Sun (mid 1991 to mid 1992), with specific inclusion choices to compare pre-election coverage and editorial approach.

Sep 20, 2026

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