Report Highlights Risk Of “Credits For Favours”

“NZQA’s plan to have teachers handing out half the credits for the new secondary qualifications from their classrooms puts both teachers and students at risk of ‘favours’ which could lead to unprecedented pressures, says the writer of a new report on the NCEA,” said Concerned Teachers spokesperson Peter Calvert. “Currently students are told that their teacher cannot mark their external examination paper as markers are not allocated answer booklets from their own school.”

Mr Calvert was publicly releasing a report commissioned from secondary consultant John Bell entitled “NCEA – A Risk Analysis”.

“Already New Zealanders are hearing reports of teachers using rewards like holiday trips or sporting achievement being allegedly used by teachers in return for sexual favours,“ said Mr Calvert. “Mr Bell’s report raises the increased risk of either students or teachers using or requiring sexual or other ‘favours’ in return for better grades.”

“Given the fact that a teacher allocating the high stakes award (eg University Entrance) from their own classroom might be 22 and a senior student 18, the risk must be regarded as real,” said Mr Calvert.

“In 2000, NZQA and the Children’s Commissioner were upset when teachers were found to be coaching model exam answers for students to regurgitate,” said Mr Calvert. “Yet NZQA then proposes that teachers award 50% of credits for the NCEA from their own classroom!”

“The NCEA must be postponed till these issues are sorted. No other system puts teachers or students at this level of risk from giving internally assessed credits unmoderated by examination results,” said Mr Calvert.

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Website www.concernedteachers.com

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