26 June 2002
Reports today of an Auckland school shunning the National Certificate for Educational Achievement highlights the urgent
need for the qualification to be reviewed, says National's Education spokesperson Nick Smith.
"There's little wonder that schools are casting around for other qualifications when teachers are struggling with the
workload pressures of NCEA, and students are being increasingly left in the dark.
"Talkback radio today has been swamped with callers really worried about their children's education. This shouldn't be
happening with the qualifications of 56,000 Year 11 students at stake, and half the school year already gone.
"National believes NCEA can work if it's modified and properly resourced. We have already stated in our School
Qualifications Policy that we would review the qualification to address teacher workload issues and other problems
around it.
"Again, we urge the Government to hold off implementing the next level of NCEA until all the issues are sorted. We
warned the Government last year not to proceed with the qualification without the teachers' contract settled, but the
advice was ignored.
"With the current mess in secondary education - including latest reports of further teacher bans around NCEA work - we
can only hope that the Government will now take advice," says Dr Smith.
Ends