The New Zealand Qualifications Authority is on the mark with its work on the National Certificate of Educational Achievement, National's Education spokesman Gerry Brownlee said today.

The NZQA appeared before the Education Select Committee this morning and were questioned by Mr Brownlee on their views about the NCEA.

"The NZQA appear to have similar concerns to National about marks and moderation and have been doing some good work to address those concerns.

"NZQA propose that reports show a students ranking in a graphic form so the student, their parents, potential employers and tertiary institutions will have some idea where they rank in relation to other students.

"NZQA also addressed another major concern of National's - moderation. They propose that moderation be undertaken in the year of study, not retrospectively. This makes sense and would be a lot fairer to students.

"NZQA want external assessment to be used more predominantly in some subjects. This is also a positive step.

"National has outlined its concerns in a letter to the Minister. He should note that the NZQA shares those concerns and he should now swallow his pride and engage with us in a constructive dialogue. We must ensure that next year's fifth formers will be studying towards a viable and credible qualification," Mr Brownlee said.

Ends

© Scoop Media