HSC students who have launched social media attacks on an Indigenous poet – in one instance comparing her to a monkey – have been urged to apologise for their actions by the NSW Education Standards Authority.

Upon opening paper one of the Higher School Certificate on Monday, students were faced with an analytical question on Indigenous writer Ellen Van Neerven’s poem Mango.

The work, found in the book Comfort Food, appears to have frustrated many students and van Neerven has worn that frustration in the form of vulgar online abuse – even death threats.

“We were asked to analyse your mango f––––d poem – and I’m asking what the f––k was the point of your mango bullshit?” one student said in a direct Facebook message to van Neerven.

“In all honesty there wasn’t much to analyse cos it reads like a 4-year-old wrote it,” another said.

“Ellen can catch a clip full, from a pistol…..and if I ever seen Ellen, best believe she isn’t safe,” said another in a video.

The NSW Educations Standard Authority, which is responsible for overall oversight of the HSC, have now expressed their dismay about the attacks and said the students owe van Neerven apologies.

“I am appalled by the abuse of the author,” NESA CEO David de Carvalho said.

“This is a completely inappropriate response and I hope those involved see fit to apologise to Ms van Neerven.”

Exam questions are set by a committee of experienced English teachers, and like all authors featured, van Neerven was not given advance notice that there would be a question centred around Mango.

Many students have taken aim at van Neerven on the HSC Discussion Group on Facebook. Photo: Facebook

A red flag for abuse

A spokesman for NESA said the question on Mango was only worth two marks and was “challenging but not that hard”.

“This fantastic piece of poetry was selected because it is really, really good work,” it read.

“We like works from Australian writers and this one happened to be Indigenous which is a great thing.”

NESA is standing by van Neerven and have extended their full support.

“We also want to congratulate her for being selected and having a piece in the English HSC exam, which is a highly regarded exam.”

This barrage of abuse is especially disappointing, the spokesperson said, given how the NSW curriculum condemns cyber-bullying and works to promote tolerance and diversity.

Literary groups stand with poet

Van Neerven has not yet made any comment but many literary groups including AustLit and the Australian Society of Authors have come out to champion the poet, who has won four major awards for her work.

The First Nations Australia Writers Network (FNAWN) said the shocking abuse of one of their youngest members deeply hurts their community.

“Some 2017 NSW HSC students read the inclusion of Ms van Neerven’s poem as a red flag to target, troll and abuse her online,” FNAWN said.

“Hundreds of accounts engaged in this online abuse towards Ms van Neerven, abuse came from apparently fake profiles, and some abusers hastily deleted their disgraceful content.”

Unfortunately students who attempted to combat the abuse from their peers have also been targeted, the organisation said.

“We know that at least one young writer who stood up against the trolling was subjected to abuse that contained sexual harassment,” it said.

Students have the opportunity to provide feedback via a NESA survey after the exams.

-ABC