Smiles or tears: South Australian students wake up to Year 12 results
The wait is over for South Australian Year 12 students, with thousands waking up this morning to assess their scores. One teacher heralded her school’s results as the best in years.
A record 17,099 students completed the South Australian Certification of Education (SACE) program in 2025, with 1,468 Merits for exceptional grades awarded to 1,221 students.
In 2025, 483 Aboriginal students (up 4.3 per cent from 2024) and 4,134 regional students (up 5.6 per cent from 2024) completed their SACE certificate.
SACE released a statement saying that nine out of 10 students aged 16 to 18 chose to study SACE this year over other educational programs, such as the International Baccalaureate.
Seaton High School teacher Ann Clarke, who is the school’s SACE coordinator, said the students had managed their best results in some years, with one student achieving a score in the high 90s.
“We’re really pleased with that, but also, of course, there’s more to finishing school than ATARs and all that,” she said.
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“We’ve got students who went off to apprenticeships and all that kind of stuff, which is also an awesome result for them too.”
Clarke, who is involved with the Australian Education Union’s (AEU) Our Students. Our Future. advocacy campaign calling for minimum infrastructure standards at schools, said that outdated facilities affect students’ ability to learn.
“Having well-maintained and up to scratch spaces to learn in means you’re perhaps able to focus on your learning,” she said.
“You’ve got air conditioning that works, or you’ve got windows that open, or you’re not having to move rooms when it’s raining because something’s leaking. So, they can actually focus on their learning.”
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Education, Training and Skills Minister Blair Boyer said that “these outstanding results show how the hard work and determination of our Year 12 students throughout their high school years can pave the way for their future opportunities”.
“Whether students go onto university, TAFE, or an apprenticeship or traineeship, our schools have set them up for exciting careers, right here in South Australia,” he said.
“I also want to take this opportunity to give credit to our incredible teachers, and of course, families who support students during this critical time.”
Of the thousands of SACE students, 7,046 students (representing 42.4 per cent) chose to include a Vocational Education and Training (VET) course, while 54 per cent studied a mix of VET, community learning and university subjects as part of their Certificate.
“On behalf of the SACE Board, I would like to congratulate the 17,099 students who completed their SACE this year and wish them all the very best for their future,” SACE board chief executive Michaela Bensley said.
“Our focus at the SACE Board has been to provide flexible options through a broad range of subjects and other recognised learning that reflect the diverse strengths and interests of all students completing secondary school.”
AEU SA branch president Jennie-Marie Gorman said that “every year 12 student should feel proud today to have made it through the biggest year in their education so far”.
“Our public educators do amazing work every day to support students across the state as they prepare to make their way into the world,” she said.
“As a state, we should be giving students every possible opportunity to thrive. That means guaranteeing reliable, high-quality facilities in every school that allow educators to teach without barriers.”
