Nick Smith National Education Spokesperson

4 September 2000

External exams must stay as core of school qualifications

National Education spokesperson Nick Smith has welcomed three reports released today by the Education Forum calling for the implementation of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement to be put on hold.

"National is committed to the new Certificate but is worried that the external examination component is being watered down by the new Government.

"Concerns about not recognising excellence, huge amounts of unreliable information and increased teacher workload are serious and need to be resolved. It is very risky for the Government to scrap School Certificate and Bursary when key stakeholders doubt the credibility of the new qualification.

"The Government needs to open its mind to opinions other than the teachers' union before it embarks on changing a fifty-year-old tradition of school examinations. Urgent consultation is needed with parents, employers and tertiary education institutions to ensure the changes will work for New Zealand," Dr Smith said.

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