Olympic hopeful told to repeat year 11 after missing too much school while training

A Winter Olympics hopeful cannot enter year 12 at a Victorian secondary college because his overseas training commitments caused him to fall foul of the school’s attendance policy – even though his family believed he had been given special consideration to study remotely.

The case, described as “very unusual” by the country’s peak winter sports body, highlights the challenges faced by young athletes trying to balance their sporting dreams and their education.

Pantxo Wall, who is currently ranked number five in the snowboarding Junior Freeride World Tour, was told in November last year that he had missed too many days of school at Surf Coast Secondary College, near Torquay, to progress into his final year.

His family says they allowed Wall, 17, to train and compete overseas after meeting with a year level co-ordinator the previous year, when they were told his year 11 attendance requirements were at the school’s discretion and he would be given special consideration to be away if they provided a letter from Snow Australia.

“We honestly understood during that meeting that he had been given the time away from school to train and compete, and as long as he passed the required subjects he would go through to year 12,” said Danni Morris, Wall’s mother.

Morris provided the Snow Australia letter confirming Wall was in the emerging talent program – consisting of about 50 athletes with potential to be selected for the Olympics.

Wall had already spent time overseas during the two previous years with support from teachers under extended absence learning plans. He then spent the first term of year 11 in Europe and the United States and about half of term three at slopes in Australia and New Zealand.

The school raised Wall’s attendance with his family during the year as well as flagging he was falling behind in several subjects. Morris sought extra assistance to help his grades and assumed this would resolve the issue.

But in November, the school informed the family he would not be allowed into year 12 because of his absences. Schools set their own attendance requirements to ensure they can authenticate a student’s work.

Morris then met with the school and was told the staff member she initially met with did not have authority to provide an attendance exemption and this had not been provided in writing.

An Education Department spokesperson said: “Surf Coast Secondary College sets attendance expectations to ensure all students achieve their full potential.

“Where necessary, the school works in close collaboration with families to adjust learning programs to meet individual circumstances.”

In a letter to Morris, the department’s executive director of operations and governance, Sally Carew-Reid, said she was satisfied the school had communicated with her about Wall’s absences. “I am also satisfied the school provided multiple opportunities for Pantxo to satisfy the attendance requirements and these opportunities were discussed with you when you met with school staff,” she wrote.

However, Carew-Reid wrote: “I acknowledge that this could have been supported by the school providing you with written confirmation of their advice about attendance requirements and implications for Pantxo completion of year 11 VCE.”

Morris said if the school had made its attendance expectations clear and discussed Wall’s options with her, she could have limited her son’s time overseas or enrolled him part-time. “We just weren’t given the right information.”

Snow Australia chief executive Michael Kennedy said in 23 years at the organisation he had not seen a student fail a year of school due to their absences while training.

“In almost all cases schools and families have worked successfully together to find ways for students to keep doing the sport and continue their education. Those are decisions and arrangements between the family and school, and not something we get involved with or determine.”

He said options included students enrolling part-time, tutors supervising their work, distance learning online, or temporarily moving schools. “There’s been hybrids of those as well.”

Kennedy said the situation appeared to be an unfortunate miscommunication. “It’s a very unusual situation that the school and family get to this stage and are not on the same page,” he said. “If anyone came to us for advice or support, one of the things we would tell them is make sure they get it in writing.”

A recent Australia Institute report found 70 per cent of the 53 Winter Olympians who attended the Milano Cortina Games this year had been educated at private schools.

“Independent schools have more resources, so with that comes the opportunity to perhaps offer more flexibility,” Kennedy said. “But we absolutely see the government school level work with winter sport athletes to do what they need to do.”

Australia achieved six medals at this year’s Olympics, it’s highest ever result.

The school has offered options for Wall to see a careers counsellor and repeat year 11, but he has not returned to the school this year. Morris hopes he will have last year recognised so he can go into year 12 at a different school. Still, the school’s culture – which has a surf academy and a that gives him time to ride waves before class – was part of its appeal.

“He liked going to school and being part of his community. He loved the teachers,” Morris said. “That’s the saddest part, that the person who’s suffering the most from this is Pantxo. And he went on our guidance, and we went on the guidance from the school.”

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