Katherine Rich MP
National Party Education Spokeswoman

1 August 2007

One in four leave school without NCEA level one

“New figures show 25% of all students leave school without achieving an NCEA level 1 qualification - the equivalent of the old School Certificate,” says National Party Education spokeswoman Katherine Rich.

“More than 14,000 students left school last year without the most basic secondary school qualification. The Minister crows about the ‘improvement’ but appears complacent about the failure.

“Without level 1 NCEA, a school leaver’s options are limited. Many institutions providing further education and training require, as a minimum entry requirement, level 1 NCEA.

“We are in real trouble when one in four students don't even make it to the starting line.”

Mrs Rich says it is a sad day when the Minister thinks statistics which show that after 12 years of schooling 25% have failed to achieve NCEA level 1 is good news.

“That one-in-four failure rate is about the same as that for the national standard for literacy.

“When students are coming out of our schools unprepared for life in a modern, dynamic economy, alarm bells should be ringing in the Beehive.”

National’s Leader, John Key, outlined National’s Trades and Skills policy last month, and earlier in the year pledged his support for national standards in reading and maths.

“Schools need to remain relevant and engaging for young people. The latest statistics prove the need for new thinking on how we prepare our children for life beyond the classroom.”

ENDS

Attached:
School Leavers 2006, Data Management Unit, Ministry of Education (PDF)

© Scoop Media