Hipkins reveals shake-up of NCEA
A complete shake-up of NCEA will look at whether all students should attempt the level one qualification and whether teenagers are being over-assessed.
The secondary school qualification, which replaced School Certificate, Sixth Form Certificate and Bursary, was introduced in 2002. Labour had signalled ahead of the September general election that it would review the grading system if in government.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday announced the terms of reference for the review, which will initially lead to a discussion document for public consultation in April next year.
It comes on the back of Hipkins announcing on Tuesday that National Standards, the assessment
"Students and teachers have told us over-assessment is a real issue and impacts their wellbeing and workload." Education Minister Chris Hipkins
system used in primary and intermediate schools, has been officially scrapped.
Hipkins said over-assessment of students and teacher workloads would be addressed as part of the review once it started early next year. However, NCEA would not be scrapped altogether.
‘‘Students and teachers have told us over-assessment is a real issue and impacts their wellbeing and workload. This and the impor tance of teaching life skills in schools – such as resilience, creativity, communication and adaptability – will form part of the review.
‘‘It will also look at the role of each level of NCEA, particularly the structure and relevance of NCEA level 1 and whether all young people should attempt it.’’
National’s education spokeswoman, Nikki Kaye, was supportive of the review, which she said the former government had also announced ahead of the election.
‘‘There doesn’t need to be politics involved, there’s a genuine process underway and we’re supportive of that process.’’
Kaye said it was important for public confidence in the education system that any changes were well communicated. She agreed that there were issues around NCEA level 1 and whether all students should be sitting it.
The NCEA review was an ‘‘opportunity to refine and strengthen our key national qualification for young people leaving school, and to ensure that NCEA remains relevant in the modern world’’.
‘‘The introduction of NCEA represented a significant modernisation of the system of secondary school assessment.
‘‘However, the full potential of NCEA has yet to be fully realised. This review will build on what has been achieved with NCEA to date,’’ Kaye said.
A ministerial advisory group of ‘‘innovative thinkers, who can challenge traditional thinking on senior secondary education and assessment’’ will lead the review.