Concerns for Māori, Pasifika in NCEA shift

A planned tightening of the NCEA literacy and numeracy standards may see Māori and Pasifika students left behind, educators say.

The new standards will be implemented from next year and will include standardised tests to assess the skills of students, starting from years 10 and 11.

Carol Jarrett, the deputy principal of Aorere College in south Auckland, said the new standards were being implemented due to New Zealand’s shocking literacy and numeracy rates.

According to a 2020 Unicef report, more than a third of New Zealand’s 15-year-olds struggle to read and write, and 64.6% have only basic skills in reading and maths.

‘‘Everyone in the education sector, and in the wider community [is] concerned about the number of young people who don’t have the literacy and numeracy skills to function in everyday life,’’ Jarrett said.

However, she said there was a fear historically disadvantaged groups in education, such as Mā ori and Pasifika, might fall through the cracks when the new standards were implemented.

‘‘The reasoning [for starting the test in year 10] is, so it’s out of the way, and if they fail they’ll get another go,’’ Jarrett said.

‘‘My concern is that they’re 14-year-olds. We’ve got to remember how they think . . . So my concern is that if they fail at that [test], they’ll think they’re not good enough and leave.’’

She said Māori and Pasifika already largely populated the statistics of young people who were not in employment, education and training. ‘‘So we already know we aren’t serving, engaging or retaining them well enough.

‘‘I fear that the blow that this will strike them may exacerbate a problem that’s always been there [in the education system].’’

New Zealand Principals Federation president Cherie Taylor-Patel said a number of changes would need to occur to support Māori and Pasifika students.

‘‘They’re great students, and they have so much to offer. But traditionally we haven’t utilised all the strength they bring, and we haven’t taught them in ways they can relate to,’’ Taylor-Patel said.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the Government was committed to equity in achievement for Māori and Pacific students.