Gerry Brownlee National Education Spokesperson

19 April 2001

Education export sector at risk under NCEA

Foreign exchange earnings of $700 million are at risk under the Education Minister's proposals for secondary school qualifications, National's Education spokesperson Gerry Brownlee said today.

Reports today from Education New Zealand put educating fee-paying foreign exchange students as one of the country's top foreign exchange earners. Current estimates reveal $700 million in earnings with an aim to boost this to $1 billion by 2005. The education export sector comprises secondary, tertiary and English language students.

"There are real concerns in the education sector that the National Certificate of Educational Achievement won't be internationally credible.

"The efforts of groups such as Education New Zealand to 'sell' New Zealand's education sector overseas will be hampered by Trevor Mallard's plans to dumb down our secondary school qualifications.

"Secondary school students will be over-assessed and under-educated under the NCEA.

"Our schools will face an uphill battle in trying to get foreign students to study in New Zealand if they can't guarantee them an internationally recognisable qualification," Mr Brownlee said.

Ends

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