Hon Bill English National Party Education Spokesman

2 November 2005

NCEA: Maharey doesn't want responsibility

National's Education spokesman, Bill English, says new Education Minister Steve Maharey should give parents, teachers and students his own personal assurance that this year's NCEA exams will go to plan.

"The 150,000 students sitting NCEA this year, as well as their parents and teachers, want to know that this Minister has faith in his system and will be accountable if it fails them."

Mr Maharey said today that the NZQA had given him an assurance that everything has been done to ensure that the exams run smoothly.

"This slippery statement just goes to show that Mr Maharey has no confidence in the NCEA or the abilities of his predecessor, Trevor Mallard, to fix its flaws," says Mr English.

"The 150,000 students sitting NCEA deserve better, and so do their parents, teachers and future employers.

"I have been told that the education agencies have been too busy dodging bullets this year to do anything about the problems of moderation and unfair assessment that plagued last year's NCEA.

"If the necessary changes haven't been made, 150,000 more young people will suffer the consequences of an exam system with huge variations in results and weird marking schemes that fail some students who know the curriculum inside out.

"Mr Maharey should be able to tell the public whether or not these problems have been fixed and whether or not he is prepared to be accountable if they have not," says Mr English.

ENDS

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