12 March 2002
Industrial Shambles Risks 58-Thousand Students' Qualifications
Secondary students will be the losers from the Government's inept decision to implement the biggest change in school
qualifications in the middle of the nastiest teacher pay dispute ever, says National's Education spokesperson, Nick
Smith.
"This shambles puts the school qualifications of 58-thousand Year 11 (Fifth Form) students at risk. The PPTA decision to
not pass on students' marks from next Monday and to refuse to comply with directives and timeframes relating to NCEA is
a recipe for disaster.
"It's bad enough being a guinea pig, but these students are now guinea pigs in the middle of a cat fight.
"Trevor Mallard is incompetent for launching into NCEA without having strapped down the full commitment of teachers. I
told him last November he was asking for trouble, and that's exactly what he has got.
"National calls on the Prime Minister to intervene to sort out this mess so that student qualifications are not put in
jeopardy," says Dr Smith.
Ends