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