"Positive Tone ...Good Progress" at NCEA Forum

NEWS RELEASE

11 August 2000 Immediate Release

"Positive Tone ...Good Progress" at NCEA Forum

Agreements on the design of Scholarship and examinations at all three levels of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), were reached by the Secondary Sector Forum at their fourth meeting which ended last night.

The Secretary for Education, Howard Fancy, convenes the forum of secondary school sector representatives to resolve policy issues surrounding the development of the NCEA. The forum met twice in 1999, and has met again twice this year.

The forum proposed that Scholarship be awarded from external assessment and from research projects and performance where applicable. Scholarship standards will require higher level of subject knowledge and understanding than the top grade in level 3 of the NCEA.

It will be possible to select a "top scholar" in each subject.

"The forum also gave us important guidance on how to manage internal assessment so that it is fair and consistent across all schools, confirmed the need for minimum requirements for literacy and numeracy, and helped clarify the issues around reporting student achievement," said Secretary for Education, Howard Fancy.

"Yet again, this was a highly valuable consultation. The tone was positive and the progress through the issues was good".

There was strong constructive debate together with a strong commitment to make decisions that would ensure the NCEA is a qualification of the highest standing. More than 40 attended ... about half of them secondary principals from every region of New Zealand ... as well as representatives of employers, Mäori teachers and principals, the NZQA, universities, industry training, and the Post-Primary Teachers' Association.

"It was encouraging to hear Professor Roger Field, representing the Vice-Chancellors' Committee, describe the forum's position on Scholarship in very positive terms," said Howard Fancy. "Professor Field believes the proposal for Scholarship will really extend the ablest students and will probably be greeted warmly by the universities". The NCEA was well on track towards successful implementation in 2002, he said.

Enquiries: Tim McMahon, Qualifications Development Group. Phone: 025 917 339

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