All local high schools were pleased with their results, and rightly so.

All schools had students who were pleasantly surprised by the results and, inevitably, some who were disappointed.

But the beauty of the Bathurst education system is that it offers something for everyone.

Each high school has been able to carve its own niche in the market, giving parents and students the widest possible choice.

Bathurst is also fortunate that education ranks as one of the largest industry sectors in town, employing hundreds of people and pouring millions of dollars into the economy every year.

Where many regional centres rely on industries such as agriculture and mining that are vulnerable to seasonal changes and diminishing returns, the strength of the education sector in Bathurst means we are immune to many of the worst aspects of market volatility.

And our reputation as a proud education city can only be a benefit in trying to attract new families to the region.

Regardless of their results on Thursday, all students who have completed the HSC in 2017 deserve congratulations for coming through one of the most difficult years they have faced so far.

Despite the best intentions of parents and teachers, it is hard for any Year 12 student to appreciate that the HSC is not their one shot at success in life.

Those of us who are more than a few years past the HSC now know that it is just one milestone out of many that make a life, but it can seem far bigger than that when you’re in the midst of it.

The challenge now for all those Year 12 students is to build on the start they’ve been given as they make their way in the world.

Learning does not end at the completion of high school – it is a life-long journey of personal growth.

Many students will go straight on to university while many more will take a “gap” year – a notion unheard of just a couple of decades ago.

Others will start a working life that is likely to see them make their way through four or five careers before they finally move into retirement.

But whichever path they take, none will forget their school years.