18 November 2001

Students sitting their first School Certificate exams tomorrow have been robbed of their best preparation by six weeks of industrial disruption to their classes," says National's Education Spokesperson Dr Nick Smith.

" It is unfair that students have been caught in the crossfire between the PPTA and Government. This is the time of the year when students should feel at their most settled.

"Instead classes have been in chaos from rolling strikes. This is the worst industrial disruption at exam time ever in schools and the Government must take some responsibility.

"The implications of this dispute flowing onto next year are even more serious. With teachers threatening to boycott implementation of the new NCEA, and it relying on ongoing internal assessment, students qualifications will be a total mess.

"The Government must start thinking of the thousands of students affected and immediately delay implementation of the NCEA if it cannot settle the teachers contract this year.

" It is not right that students should pay such a high price all because of the Governments refusal to acknowledge the increased workload of the new internally assessed qualifications.

"The Government can't implement the new system on the cheap. It faces two simple choices - pay or delay," says Dr Smith.

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