2. Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
What improvements is the Government making to the operation of NCEA?
Hon CHRIS CARTER (Minister of Education) Link to this
As part of the roll-out of the New Zealand curriculum launched late last year, I have today announced that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Ministry of Education have begun reviewing the achievement in unit standards that students will be assessed against from 2010 when the new curriculum is fully in place. This is part of a package of continuous improvements that the Government is making to the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). Those improvements have been described as “cynical” and “calculated” by the National Party, but are warmly welcomed by prominent educators who actually use the system. Principals like Brent Lewis of Avondale College, Roger Moses of Wellington College, and Julia Davidson of Wellington Girls’ College have all spoken in support of the ongoing NCEA programme.
Dr Ashraf Choudhary Link to this
What other improvements is the Government making to the operation of NCEA?
The standards review is part of a package of improvements designed to increase student motivation, provide more detailed achievement information, and further improve consistency in NCEA. Other recent improvements include introducing achievement endorsements last year to NCEA certificates, which has improved student motivation; appointing 33 permanent moderators—I guess Mr Key would call them bureaucrats—whose task is to ensure that assessment in schools is of the highest quality; and making national assessment reports available online so parents can check that their child’s school is meeting standards. These improvements allow us to demonstrate the rigor of NCEA, while also supporting the development of new educational pathways for students, as envisaged as part of our Schools Plus programme. NCEA is working well, but, like everything, we can improve it with refinements.
Anne TolleyWhy is it that fewer than 3 weeks ago the Minister was brushing off criticisms of NCEA and claiming that it was “a modern, well-researched assessment system that is preparing young New Zealanders well for the 21st century.”, yet this morning, on the back of an impending election, worried parents, schools, and teachers, and successive poor poll results, it has been announced that NCEA will have its largest review since it was introduced?
I stand by my earlier comments. How can this House have any confidence in anything that member said? Some 3 weeks ago when I made those comments, that member was in the House claiming that New Zealand Qualifications Authority officials had given documents to her select committee that showed that 30 percent of marking in NCEA was not accurate. I left this House to try to find that report. No such report was given to the select committee. I then wrote to the member outlining the mistakes she had made, and I told her that I understood that she did not understand NCEA very well and that we would give her a briefing. Has she replied? No, she has not, because she does not want to know the facts.
I seek leave to table the letter I wrote to that member pointing out the inaccuracies she gave in this House—