Minister congratulates NCEA achievers

The 141,000 students around the country receiving their NCEA results have been congratulated by Associate Education Minister David Benson-Pope, both for their achievements and for the way they have taken to the new qualifications.

Mr Benson-Pope confirmed that 99.6% of results have now been delivered to students, with the remainder due to arrive tomorrow for those in more remote rural areas. He says it is an important development that all of these students now have their achievement recognised nationally.

“The introduction of NCEA has been the biggest change ever to New Zealand’s secondary qualifications," said Mr Benson-Pope. "It’s something employers had been wanting for years and the new system is great for students, parents and tertiary institutions.

"When students go looking for a job they can be confident that when they present their results to employers, they are providing a valuable and accurate record of what they can do and have learnt. Never before has an employer received such rich information about a school leaver's ability.

"The NCEA is challenging our most gifted and talented students and also provides a meaningful and worthwhile assessment for students who under the old system left school with no formal recognition of their ability."

Mr Benson-Pope congratulated those students receiving levels 1, 2 and 3 results for the way they have embraced these changes.

"The NCEA provides the transparency requested by the community, including parents, employers and the teaching profession, as to what students have achieved and the level of that achievement. Employers, tertiary institutions, and students themselves will have a far more comprehensive record of each school leaver's abilities."

Mr Benson-Pope says that while students have taken to the system there is a challenge to employers to do their bit. Information and briefings on NCEA were offered to employer organisations throughout the country during 2004 but not all offers were taken up. NZQA has begun a follow-up campaign distributing information leaflets and will again be offering briefing sessions to those employer organisations.

From Thursday all results will be available on the NZQA website [www.nzaq.govt.nz/ncea]. Marked exam books will be returned to students in coming weeks, with applications for remarking needing to be in by 15 February.

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