NCEA Computer Glitch is Last Straw

The computer faults that could cost many secondary students hard-earned marks provide more evidence that the flawed NCEA qualification has been rushed through with nowhere near enough planning, ACT Education Spokesman Donna Awatere Huata said today.

"There are software glitches with each of the computer systems used to send marks from schools to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

"This must be sickening for the kids and their parents who never wanted this ideologically-driven nonsense heaped upon them. How much more evidence do we need that NCEA is a dangerous experiment being rammed through by the Education Minister with little thought or planning?

"It is ironic that Trevor Mallard, who led Labour's attack on the police Incis computer system, is in charge of this mess - but it is also sickeningly hypocritical. Mr Mallard cannot guarantee children will receive the marks they have earned, yet that's the most basic, fundamental requirement you'd expect from any new school qualification.

"It is far too late to fix the computer systems for this year's NCEA students, but it's certainly not too late to wipe the slate clean and scrap NCEA for next year's students. The computer problems are only going to get worse with more kids and more assessments. The new software systems have already quadrupled the amount of data heaped on teachers, and this is only with Level One implemented. Mr Mallard can't realistically expect teachers to wade through 500 page-long printouts from NZQA to check for mark accuracy. And it is indefensible for NZQA - the Minister's responsibility - to lack a single employee with detailed knowledge of the various software systems. This system is a dog, and the Minister knows it.

"Mr Mallard's attempt to blame teachers just doesn't cut it. The British Education Minister resigned for less. I'm fed up with Mr Mallard's attempts to pass the buck when it's his own rotten system at fault, and I'm fed up with his attempt to drive through such a blatantly flawed qualification," Mrs Awatere Huata said.

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