US EditionStudying the Wrong Ancient Roman Ruler Gets Australian High School Seniors Out of a History Exam
Nine Queensland schools taught the wrong ancient history topic, affecting 140 students just days before exams due to a syllabus change from Augustus to Julius Caesar.
- Teachers at nine high schools, including Brisbane State High School, taught Augustus instead of Julius Caesar, affecting 140 Year 12 students as Monday external exams began.
- The QCAA changed the external ancient history topic to Julius Caesar in 2025 after Augustus was the focus from 2020 to 2024, as documented in memos from August 30, 2023, and April 17, 2024.
- At 9.54am, the QCAA responded after a parent warned Rochedale State High School taught Augustus, and families at Yeronga found out just 24 hours before the exam, affecting 140 students.
- Affected students will receive marks based on 75% of assessments if exempted from the test, may take higher exam results, and all schools will submit illness and misadventure applications, Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said.
- QCAA acting chief executive officer Claude Jones said the authority will implement further safeguards, including clearer exam topics on QCAA and myQCE websites and confirming correct teaching, as the 2025 syllabus will test Julius Caesar or Cleopatra.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodayWrong Caesar, mate: 140 Aussie students hit by ancient history mix-up
SYDNEY, Oct 29 — They came, they saw, and they squandered a year’s worth of lessons on Roman history.Australian schools were Wednesday investigating how a curriculum blunder ended with pupils mistakenly studying Augustus instead of Julius Caesar.The high school students only realised they had brushed up on the wrong Roman ruler when they crossed the Rubicon to sit down for their final-year exams.Queensland state education minister John-Paul Lang…
Associated Press News
Studying the wrong ancient Roman ruler gets Australian high school seniors out of a history exam
Teachers at nine high schools in northeastern Australia discovered days before an ancient history exam that they had mistakenly taught their students about the wrong Roman ruler — Augustus Caesar instead of his predecessor, Julius Caesar.
Sydney Morning Herald
Two Caesars, two memos and the colossal mistake that upended Queensland’s exam season
Topic selection for the bungled Year 12 exam is ancient history – it’s been Julius Caesar since August 2023. So how did nine Queensland schools teach the wrong topic?
Julius Or Augustus? Australian Schools' History Mix-Up Sparks Exam Confusion
Teachers at nine Queensland high schools accidentally taught students about Augustus Caesar instead of Julius Caesar for an ancient history exam. The error, discovered days before the test, led to students being exempted. Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek called the situation “extremely traumatic” and assured affected students wouldn’t be disadvantaged.
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