NZQA: hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil

National’s Education spokesman, Bill English, says parents and students can have no confidence in the NZQA’s ideas about fair NCEA results.

He is commenting on an NZQA media statement claiming that the variability in NCEA level 1 and 2 results was expected.

Mr English says there is a huge gap between the NZQA’s theoretically perfect NCEA and the real world of parents, students and teachers where inconsistency in results is seen as unfair and potentially damaging.

“Even teachers who generally support the NCEA are losing confidence due to inconsistencies in NCEA standards and assessments.”

The latest edition of PPTA News, the PPTA’s magazine, has four pages of complaints from teachers about the troubles associated with the assessment and administration of the NCEA.

“Surely 20 standards with a variation of more than 20% is something that even the NZQA would worry about.

“In the real world, students have to wear the consequences of this variation.

“But NZQA’s see know evil, hear no evil, speak no evil approach to the NCEA is the problem, not the solution for these students.

“Until Labour and the NZQA accept that their theory-based approach to standards-based assessment will not work in the real world, students will remain at risk in a system that doesn’t do them justice,” says Mr English.

National is committed to a thorough review and overhaul of the NCEA.

© Scoop Media