Carolyn MacCann (Uni Sydney) and colleagues found a “small to moderate association” between measures of emotional intelligence among students and academic performance. Advocates of the ATAR in teacher education tale note

Not all EI skills have the same impact, but they conclude;

“EI training programs are likely to increase academic performance as well as social and emotional outcomes, such that education decision makers and policymakers are not faced with a decision of whether to invest in social/emotional wellbeing at the expense of student achievement— evidence suggests that these programs likely do both. This is a critical piece of information for schools deciding where to best allocate their resources.”

It should also interest state education ministers who want teacher education students to have alpha ATARs.  People strong in EI may be best suited to teach the skills they are good at.

Carolyn MacCann et al, “Emotional Intelligence Predicts Academic Performance: A Meta-Analysis,” Psychological Bulletin, 146 (2) 2020, 150-186