Education Forum supports call for review of NCEA

22 March 2007

Education Forum supports call for independent review of NCEA

The Education Forum has come out in support of the call from several quarters for an independent review of the NCEA.

“Given the concerns expressed about various aspects of the NCEA over an extended period, an independent review is essential if the qualification is to retain the confidence of boards of trustees, teaching professionals, employers and parents, said Education Forum chairman Byron Bentley.

“It is simply not good enough to ignore expressed concerns with the NCEA, as this would only serve to undermine the qualification – to the long term detriment of New Zealand education. The NCEA must be seen as robust and well moderated if it is to succeed.”

New Zealand families are well-served by having a range of school qualifications available, such as NCEA and Cambridge International Exams (CIE). Choice in qualifications – as in most other facets of life – is a good thing and should be encouraged, Mr Bentley said.

The NCEA and CIE – as well as other qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) – can co-exist. Two positives don’t make a negative.
Indeed, New Zealand can learn from the experience of the highly regarded Edmonton Public School District (Canada) where families can access more than 30 different programmes across primary and secondary education, including the IB and Advanced Placement.

"The Education Forum looks forward to taking part in a constructive debate on this very important issue," Mr Bentley said.
ends

© Scoop Media