NCEA Debacle: Heads must roll

Wednesday 9 Feb 2005

Deborah Coddington - Press Releases - Education

ACT Education spokesman Deborah Coddington today called for heads to roll at the NZQA over the NCEA scholarship results debacle.

"Since Trevor Mallard and David Benson-Pope refuse to take any responsibility for the shambles, it is reasonable then to assume the cause of the problem lies with the NZQA.

"It's simply not good enough that students who have slogged their guts out for a year to achieve top marks have been mucked about.

"The NZQA has been clearly negligent in moderating the NCEA scholarship examination system.

"Ninety-nine percent of students who sat biology didn't get a scholarship because the NZQA stuffed up. This is child abuse of the mind. Further, it is a huge let-down for teachers.

"At the very least these exam papers should be recalled, re-marked and scaled. The students deserve some justice. The Government is not thinking about the children who have been stuffed around here.

"If the Labour Government won't put its hand up and take responsibility for this mess, then it's time someone from the NZQA falls on their sword," Miss Coddington said.

ENDS

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