Maxim Institute
real issues.
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this week: No. 183, 17 NOVEMBER 2005
Contents:
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* Confidence in the NCEA still questionable
* The role of Foreign Minister
* No school is an island
Confidence in the NCEA still questionable
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Secondary school pupils began sitting their external National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) examinations
this week, but the real test is facing the overseeing body, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), to get it
right after last year's bungle. But problems remain. Recently, for example, NZQA failed a geography project by a Year 13
Wellington College pupil despite its winning a national award as judged by Canterbury University lecturers. It may have
received the approbation of specialists, but apparently did not meet NZQA achievement standards.
NZQA came under fire for its marking of external exams in 2004. Extensive variation in achievement standards was said to
exist which made it difficult to assess a pupil's acquired knowledge or skills. There was disparity in results across
subjects, with a number of top pupils failing subjects. Although NZQA has attempted to remedy the faults, the Wellington
College incident suggests the problems have not been fully ironed-out. The mix of external moderation and examinations
with internal assessment makes marking difficult. The meaning of achievement standards and how these are communicated
between schools and the NZQA is a real challenge.
An August report by the State Services Commission on the NZQA recommended (among other things) that the Authority
introduce clearer boundaries around the four grades of Non-Achieved, Achieved, Merit and Excellence, so that grades can
be interpreted with more confidence by pupils, schools, parents and employers. There is a real need for grade clarity.
To read the State Services Commission Report on the Performance of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority in the
Delivery of Secondary School Qualifications, visit: http://www.ssc.govt.nz/display/document.asp?DocID=4703
To read the Maxim Institute report; "The Parent Factor: Freedom for schools", which includes research around parental
views towards the NCEA and some positive policy recommendations regarding curricula and examinations, visit:
http://www.maxim.org.nz/parentfactor/report1_freedomforschools.php
The role of Foreign Minister
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Winston Peters had his first outing this week as Minister of Foreign Affairs representing New Zealand at the APEC
meeting in South Korea. Mr Peters was accompanied by Trade Minister, Phil Goff (Foreign Minister in the previous
government). Mr Peters' appointment came out of the controverted bargaining between New Zealand First, Labour, and
United Future. As a minister outside cabinet, Mr Peters only represents government policy in his portfolios of foreign
affairs, senior citizens and racing. He has declined to chair the Cabinet Committee on Foreign Affairs meaning Phil Goff
or Helen Clark will fill the role.
Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, recently questioned the unusual arrangement of a Foreign Minister outside
cabinet. Mr Peters had earlier sought assurance from Australia that it would help New Zealand improve its uneasy
relationship with the United States at upcoming ministerial talks between the US and Australia. Mr Goff later revealed
that he had assured the Australians that Mr Peters was acting in line with the foreign policy of the Labour coalition
government.
The role of Foreign Minister is a strategically important position in any government, and given that the state's primary
task is to protect its citizens, the office calls for clear thinking and policy. Any misunderstanding or equivocation
could be very costly. The incumbent minister must speak with a clear government mandate, but the APEC incident suggests
a confusion of ministerial roles and authority.
No school is an island
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Former PPTA President Roger Tobin recently indulged in a piece of politicised wishful thinking. One highlight of his
address published in the October issue of PPTA News, declares that New Zealand schools are "islands of democratic
egalitarianism in a free market world". What do we make of such a description of the local school?
For starters, schools are not isolated or insulated "islands". It is true that school zoning and centralised funding
insulate schools to some extent from the pressures their communities face and the need to respond to them, but schools
are first and foremost servants of parents, pupils, families and their communities. Far from being isolated islands
unaffected by the stream, schools are integrally involved in their communities. It would be silly to suggest that
schools should be isolated from the wider community, whether it is "free-market" or otherwise.
And in what sense is a school an island of "democratic egalitarianism"? Perhaps Mr Tobin means that all education should
be of the same high quality, offered to all, and that schools should be fostering a generation of egalitarian-minded
democrats for the future. Some might desire this but it has the unfortunate effect of politicising education, and making
schools into centres concerned with political goals, rather than the encouragement of learning and excellence. Teachers
and educational professionals' beliefs about the purpose and function of schools will undoubtedly shape their work, and
therefore deserves consideration.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - William Blake (1757 - 1827)
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Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.
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ENDS