NCEA Drives Kids From Education System

Friday 18 Oct 2002 Donna Awatere Huata Press Releases -- Education

ACT Education Spokesman Donna Awatere Huata today urged Education Minister Trevor Mallard to pay heed to students who are dropping out of school because of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA).

"Mr Mallard has ignored teachers who say this qualification is under-resourced. He has ignored principals and boards of trustees who warn that this experiment being inflicted on our children is a complete balls-up. He has ignored parents who want their children to receive a meaningful qualification. Will he now pay no attention to children dropping out of the education system because of his ideologically-driven nonsense?

"As well as the children identified in today's Waikato Times as being driven from school by the NCEA, I've been alerted to a number of kids around the country who would prefer to drop out than struggle with an inherently flawed, dumbed down system.

"The saddest cases are those of bright children who feel constrained and restricted under NCEA, despite the best efforts of their teachers. In at least one case, parents who just can't afford it are trying to scrape together enough money to send their child to a private school offering an internationally recognised qualification.

"I can think of no greater indictment on the Education Minister than his qualification driving children away from school," Mrs Awatere Huata said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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