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.

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