VCE Senior News

Legal Studies Court and Parliament excursion

On Tuesday June 3rd, the Unit 3/4 Legal Studies classes visited the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court and the Victorian Parliament. 

We sat in on some Magistrates’ Court hearings and got to witness how the Magistrate manages cases to ensure a fair outcome is achieved. Within the Magistrates’ Court there were specialised courts that dealt with specific issues such as the drug-specialised court which allowed the Magistrate to impose sanctions that would not only punish the offender but rehabilitate them and enable them to become a functioning member of society. We were also fortunate to talk to the Magistrate and ask questions. We were also briefed by a representative from legal Aid who are regularly present at court.

At the Victorian Parliament we learned about the composition of the upper and lower houses and the process of how new legislation is implemented. Our State MP John Mullahy described his experience of being a politician, such as how long the debate process of a bill can go for to ensure a decision is made that represents the beliefs of the community and the state as a whole, within the limited amount of time the parliament sits for each year. We were able to consolidate our knowledge of what we learned in class by seeing it applied to real scenarios.

CHES – VCE and Higher Education Studies

The Centre for Higher Education Studies (https://ches.vic.edu.au) provides high-achieving senior students from across Victorian government schools with opportunities for extension, acceleration, and enrichment as part of their overall VCE program, while remaining enrolled at their original school. 

Applications are now open for students to enrol in a 2026 Higher Education Study (first year university subject) or a select VCE study through CHES.  

CHES, offer the following VCE subjects for study in 2026:

·       VCE Algorithmics Units 3 & 4

·       VCE Extended Investigation Units 3 & 4

In addition, CHES are further increasing the number of Higher Education Studies (HES) on offer in 2026 to meet demand and expand options. There is no cost to students or schools for enrolment in these early-access university subjects and outcomes from these subjects will contribute towards a student’s ATAR and can also provide credits towards future university courses. 

Further information about the HES subjects offered can be found at: https://ches.vic.edu.au/programs/higher-education-studies/

Students can apply to study a CHES VCE subjects or a Higher Education Studies in 2026 through the CHES website: https://ches.vic.edu.au. Applications are not first-in, first-served; if students submit their application by Friday 22nd August, their application will be considered.  

All CHES programs are available through state-of-the-art hybrid learning and flexible after-hours scheduling, which enables students to engage online or on-site together with other high-achieving peers, irrespective of where they live in Victoria.