Victoria’s First COVID High-School Cohort Is Redefining What Success Looks Like

Victoria’s Year 12 results were released last week, but the most significant story isn’t the ATARs. It’s what this first COVID high-school cohort is choosing to do next.

New data shows the Class of 2025 - the first students to begin secondary school during the 2020 lockdowns - is redefining success, with a sharp rise in vocational and applied learning pathways.

• In 2025, 65,586 students completed the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), with a 97.3 per cent completion rate - one of the highest on record - signalling that schools and students have largely regained stability after several disrupted years (Victorian Government, 2025).

Sarah James, a former Year 12 teacher who spent more than a decade in Victorian secondary classrooms, says the 2025 results mark a clear turning point.

“The acute disruption of COVID is no longer dominating classrooms - and the data shows this,” James said.
“But this cohort has been shaped by uncertainty, and we’re seeing that reflected in more deliberate, pragmatic choices about what comes next.”

This year, participation in vocational pathways surged:

• 9,777 students completed the VCE Vocational Major in 2025, an increase of 13.4 per cent compared to 2024, now accounting for almost 15 per cent of all VCE completers (Victorian Government, 2025).

Importantly, this shift has not come at the expense of academic achievement. More than 15,300 students achieved at least one study score of 40 or above, demonstrating that high-end outcomes remain strong despite earlier COVID disruptions (Victorian Government, 2025).

James, who is now the founder of inclusive education business The Sensory Specialist and works with hundreds of Victorian schools and families, says the growth in vocational pathways should not be viewed as a fallback or crisis response.

“What stands out to me isn’t academic decline - it’s confidence. These students aren’t lowering their goals; they’re choosing pathways that actually work for them.”

“Vocational and applied pathways are no longer seen as ‘second-best’. For many students, they’re a first choice that aligns with employment, well being and real-world readiness.”

“The shift to vocational pathways is a signal: hands-on learning is working for a lot of kids, especially those who didn't thrive in traditional classroom settings."

As policymakers, schools and families reflect on this year’s results, the message from the data is clear: Victoria’s education system has stabilised - but student aspirations have evolved. For this cohort, success looks less like a single score and more like a pathway that fits.