i'm pretty sure you can change. you're the one who's doing the hsc, not them. do what you have to, get your parents involved, other students involved, anything. english is so important in the hsc. though i can understand the position the principal (or whoever you go to) will be in, because they have to consider the other students etc. but good luck!!
(begin ramble)
my class had SEVEN english teachers throughout year11 and 12. friggin... first our yr11 teacher went off to fort street (without giving us ANY notice), then our second yr11 teacher became pregnant, then the third teacher was only staying til the end of yr11 (she neglected to tell us this until days before she left). the principal promised us a permanent teacher at the start of 2003.
start of 2003 - we find out that the lady that was meant to teach us had accepted a job at ashfield boys ($#%@&!!!). so then the head teacher and a sub taught us for a while. the principal told us that they were interviewing people, etc etc...
finally, some fiftyish old lady with a walking stick walks in and she's meant to be our teacher. the principal tells us she's had 20yrs experience with hsc english blah blah blah.
she opens up the excel book and READS IT TO US. she doesn't know what aliteration is. she gets written notes off other teachers. a few days of puttin gup with this, our class just started ignoring her, formed our own circle and discussed gwen harwood amongst ourselves. and we met up at recess and lunch to share notes and stuff. she tells us that yes, she has taught adv english before but that was TWENTY YEARS AGO. next lesson, she's not there and we hear that she resigned
(she couldn't even handle the yr7s)
a few wks later, we FINALLY get a competent, english teacher #8, fresh out of wollongong uni (teaching something or rather). thank the Lord.
(end ramble)