Trevor Mallard's attempt to cover up the mess the National Certificate of Educational Achievement is in won't fool anyone if it goes ahead, National's Education spokesperson Gerry Brownlee said today.

"Mr Mallard still hasn't answered a fundamental question - how external examinations will be assessed. Will it be by normative or standards based assessment and how will the external component be integrated with the internal component to give students a final grade?

"The Minister is being unfair to students who will be disadvantaged under his watered down version of the NCEA. Students and their families can have no confidence that the qualification will meet internationally accepted standards.

"The suggestion that this qualification has been in the making for more than ten years confirms that the NCEA is an outdated idea.

"Mr Mallard says that the only change he has made is to fund moderation training and professional development, but on what basis has he sought funding given that he hasn't yet announced what moderation there will be?

"Our education system should be one that rewards excellence and addresses failure. Labour wants a system of dumbed down mediocrity.

"Mr Mallard should put aside personal insults and recognise that parents want to be confident that their children are working for quality qualifications. He should back-up and leave National to sort out this mess, starting with the announcement of our new policy later this year," Mr Brownlee said.

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