Top scholars from 2003 bursaries exams

Top Scholars from the 2003 University Bursaries examinations were announced today by Education Minister Trevor Mallard.

Awards are made to top overall candidates, male and female, the top Mâori and Pacific Island scholars, and the top candidate in each bursaries subject.

The overall Top Scholars are Victoria Taylor from Columba College, Dunedin, and Richard Yu from King's College, Auckland. These candidates scored the highest total marks from five bursaries subjects.

"Congratulations to all Top Scholars for their outstanding results. These young people were New Zealand's leading school leavers last year. To emerge at the top of the rankings in an academic challenge of this nature takes more than sheer talent, it takes dedication, determination and good support from teachers and families," Trevor Mallard said.

Trevor Mallard said this year’s awards marked the end of an era.

"This time next year we will be announcing award winners for outstanding achievement in the new New Zealand Scholarship.

"Our best students this year will receive a much tougher academic challenge than bursaries. "The new Scholarship will test how well our very best senior students can integrate ideas across a subject in a way the bursaries examinations have not really been able to do. The level will be close to about stage one university level, and therefore the most challenging that New Zealand schools have ever seen.

"I encourage schools and parents to think carefully about setting appropriate targets for students. Challenges need to be demanding but realistic. I’d be surprised if more than about five percent of this year’s level 3 students in any one subject enter for Scholarship."

The new awards, which Trevor Mallard announced last year, are: Two Top Overall Scholars in New Zealand Scholarship 1st award $15,000 per year for three years 2nd award $10,000 per year for three years New Zealand Scholars (To all students gaining "outstanding performance" in 3 NZ Scholarship subjects) $5,000 per year for three years Top Scholar in each subject in NZ Scholarship or in NCEA Level 3 where there is no Scholarship assessment $3,000 per year for three years School Awards: For the top student in each school who achieves NZ Scholarship in 3 subjects $1,500 per year for three years

Background information on the 2003 awards follow, as well as the list of the Top Scholars from the 2003 Bursary examinations.

They will receive their awards at a Government House ceremony on 23 April.

More information about the new 2004 New Zealand Scholarship examination is available on http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications/ssq/scholarship/index.html

BACKGROUND INFORMATION For 2003 TOP SCHOLARS

Each overall Top Scholar receives $8,000. The top candidate in each Bursaries subject receives $5,000 (apart from Latin and Chinese where there were fewer than 100 eligible candidates so the top candidates get $2,000). There is no award this year for Indonesian as no eligible candidate achieved the required standard.

Features of this year’s Top Scholar awards include:

16 of the 29 subject awards went to females.

19 of the 35 Top Scholars came from the Auckland region, 8 from Christchurch schools (one of these students resides in Blenheim), 2 from Dunedin, 2 from Hamilton and 1 each from Rotorua, Tauranga, Wellington and Nelson.

Seven schools produced more than one Top Scholar: Epsom Girls’ Grammar School (5), Burnside High School (4), Rangitoto College (3), Auckland Grammar School (2), Hillcrest High School (2), Kings College (2), and St Andrew’s College (2).

To qualify for a Top Scholar award, candidates must enter for at least three Bursaries subjects and be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident. In foreign languages, candidates identified by their schools as first language speakers are not eligible for Top Scholar awards.

In addition to the Top Scholar awards, students who achieved scholarship results in five or six subjects will receive monetary awards. Those with scholarships in six subjects receive $3,000, while five scholarships earn $2,500. Scholarship results are awarded to the very high achievers in each subject, generally the top three to four percent of candidates. These awards will be mailed to successful students in April, following the confirmation of final Bursaries results.

EDUCATION REPORTERS PLEASE NOTE:

The full Top Scholars list follows. We have also provided a regional list.

The names shown are as the scholars wish to have on their certificates – some may want the media to use shorter forms of names.

STATISTICS - Final Bursaries and NCEA statistics will be available in May, after all reviews have been completed.

Most Top Scholars have agreed to have their personal contact details released to the media. Please call NZQA if you want this information.

Please call NZQA if you want photographs of top scholars in your region receiving their awards at the Government House ceremony on 1 April.

For more information contact: Bill Lennox (NZQA) 04 8023008 or 0274 803483

University Entrance, Bursaries and Scholarships 2003

By award and subject

Award Name School

Top all-round Male Scholar Richard FW Yu King's College, Auckland

Top all-round Female Scholar Victoria Switzer Taylor Columba College, Dunedin

Top all-round Male Mäori Scholar Stephen Merriman Massey High School, Auckland

Top all-round Female Mäori Scholar Karen Maria Wong Rangitoto College, Auckland

Top all-round Male Pacific Island Scholar J'aime Mikhael Karl-Frederick Laurenson Auckland Grammar School, Auckland

Top all-round Female Pacific Island Scholar Roberta Hager Villa Maria College, Christchurch

Accounting Sung Hee Gracia Kim Carmel College, Auckland

Agriculture & Horticulture Emily Chee Win Toh Avondale College, Auckland

Biology Kate Briar Gregory Epsom Girls' Grammar School, Auckland

Chemistry Sonia Bracegirdle Epsom Girls' Grammar School, Auckland

Chinese (Second Language) Lisa Tat Wellington Girls' College, Wellington

Classical Studies Dugald Oxley Burnside High School, Christchurch

Design Sean Andrew Hudson Burnside High School, Christchurch

Economics Paul Barnard Hillcrest High School, Hamilton

English Jessica Sue Thompson St Andrew's College, Christchurch

French (Second Language) Andrew Elliott Egerton Collins King's College, Auckland

Geography Alexandra Christine Badger St Cuthbert's College, Auckland

German (Second Language) Ichhya Shrestha Rotorua Girls' High School, Rotorua

Graphics Bryn Baritompa Burnside High School, Christchurch

History Hannah Wai Yan Yiu Mt Roskill Grammar, Auckland

History of Art Hannah Rose Barker-Stallard Nelson College for Girls, Nelson

Japanese (Second Language) Gemma Sarah Cornelissen Otago Girls' High School, Dunedin

Latin Graeme Ho-Fai Mak Auckland Grammar School, Auckland

Mathematics with Calculus Brendon Bai Qu Rangitoto College, Auckland

Mathematics with Statistics Doron Hickey Hillcrest High School, Hamilton

Music Matthew Edward Flinn Rangitoto College, Auckland

Painting Timothy Smith St Andrew's College, Christchurch

Photography Yana Podroubaeva Epsom Girls' Grammar School, Auckland

Physical Education Anna Elvery Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland

Physics Thomas Noonan Tauranga Boys' College, Tauranga

Printmaking Julia Katherine Glenn Burnside High School, Christchurch

Science Ninos Khnania Audesho James Cook High School, Auckland

Sculpture Sarah Jemima Aitken Rose Epsom Girls' Grammar School, Auckland

Spanish (Second Language) Carmen Esther Anderson Cashmere High School, Christchurch

Te Reo Rangatira Manawa Pomare Epsom Girls' Grammar School, Auckland

No candidate is named for Indonesian as Top Scholar standard was not reached by any eligible candidates.