NCEA qualification to be replaced with new system
Tags:
To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following:
See terms of use.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- RNZ News
NCEA changes: Some aspects like 'a step backwards in time'
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement will be gone by 2030. File photo. Photo: 123rf The government's plans to replace the NCEA system are on a tight timeline and will require a lot of support, say teachers. After more than 20 years as New Zealand's official secondary-school qualification, the government has pulled the pin on the NCEA . The National Certificate of Educational Achievement will be gone by 2030, replaced by a basic literacy and numeracy award at Year 11, and the Certificate of Education and Advanced Certificate of Education at Years 11 and 12. 'Achieved', 'not achieved', 'merit' and 'excellence' will be replaced by marks out of 100 and letter grades A, B, C, D and E. The new certificates would be standards-based, like the NCEA is, meaning every student passes if they demonstrate the required knowledge or skills, but they would have to study at least five complete subjects and pass four of them to get their certificate. This year's Year 8s would be the first cohort through the new system, starting with the foundation award in 2028, which might look a lot like the current NCEA literacy and numeracy tests. Teachers in a secondary school staffroom told RNZ they were still getting to grips with the announcement - and while some could see potential in the proposed changes, others were more cautious. "My big concern is around the kids that currently school doesn't really work for them," said one teacher who feared NCEA's flexibility would be lost. "The students are the ones that get harmed when people are just choosing to try things out," said another. Several teachers worried the new system would rely to heavily on end-of-year exams. "I don't think it's an improvement. High-stakes assessment is incredibly stressful for a number of people. The well-being of students has to be considered," said one teacher. Every teacher RNZ spoke to warned the timeline for introducing a new curriculum next year followed by the new qualification from 2028 through to 2030 was incredibly tight and would require a lot of support. Several said their curriculums had still not been written and the ministry was asking teachers to work on the new documents for free. Another pointed out that the government was asking teachers to do a lot of extra work at the same time as it was making low offers in pay talks. "Teachers got a one percent pay offer from this government and then there's four to five years of new and extra work, incredible amount of work, and those two don't marry up," she said. Papakura High School principal Simon Craggs said some aspects of the proposed changes 'such as marks out of 100 and stopping students from choosing standards from many different subjects - looked like "a step backwards in time". Craggs said he was pleased to see the government was looking at a new foundation qualification at Year 11 because the current system of online tests in reading, writing and maths was not working for many students from poor communities. He said it was critical the government listened to schools that served Māori and Pacific communities, because by 2050 they would account for half the population. "If we design a qualification that excludes them from success in our society, then we're going to have a real problem on our hands," he said. "NCEA for all its flaws, it has created a lot more opportunities for people from poorer communities to access qualifications they wouldn't have had access to before." Wellington Girls College principal Julia Davidson said NCEA needed an overhaul and the proposed changes had potential. However, she said whatever came next had to be flexible and provide choices for teenagers, especially those who struggled with exams. "That's the bit that worries me. What happens to your kids who are neuro-diverse, what happens to your kids who have got anxiety issues, what happens to kids who fall apart on the day. There has to be more flexibility," she said. "I have some concerns about the marking-by-number thing. What's the difference between 54 and 58, what does it really tell you?" Davidson said the workload for teachers of introducing a new curriculum and a new qualification system would be significant. "I've had my first teacher tell me that probably they'll leave.. wondering whether this is what they want to do," she said. Consultation on the proposed qualification changes closes on 1 September. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- RNZ News
NCEA qualification to be replaced with new system
After more than 20 years as New Zealand's official secondary-school qualification, the government has pulled the pin on the NCEA. By 2030, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement will be gone. It will be replaced by a basic literacy and numeracy award at Year 11, and the Certificate of Education and Advanced Certificate of Education at Years 11 and 12. No more achieved, not achieved, merit and excellence - instead there will be marks out of 100 and letter grades like A B and C. Education correspondent John Gerritsen reports. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
16 hours ago
- RNZ News
Operator of troubled Kāeo water scheme trespassed from treatment plant as decade-long boil-water notice continues
Kāeo's water treatment plant draws from the Waikara Stream. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf In a new twist to the long-running Kāeo water saga , it has emerged the operator of the troubled water scheme has been trespassed from the town's treatment plant. Last month the Far North town marked 10 years under a boil-water notice , imposed in July 2015 due to the presence of E. coli bacteria in the water supply. The trespass notice meant the operator of the private water scheme had to get a police escort to access the treatment plant. Wayne Mighorst, who owned the land on School Gully Rd where the plant is located, said he issued the trespass notice. "It's because he hasn't paid rent for seven years, since I've been on the property. And that's why I got him trespassed. We still let them operate the water plant, but that could change." That was disputed by Kāeo Water operator Bryce Aldridge, who said he had a document proving he could use the land rent-free. However, Mighorst said he had never seen such a document, and believed the operator had paid rent to the previous landowner. Mighorst said he wanted someone else to operate the treatment plant. "I'd like to see it taken over by the council, or somebody else that will look after the people in Kāeo, and make sure that we get good water." The main street of Kāeo. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf The effects of the boil-water notice were "pretty bad", he said. "A lot of them [Kāeo Water customers] are commercial buildings and they rely on good clean water, they've got to serve the public with it. It's a bit of a downer not having good water." Police confirmed they were called on at times to assist with access to the treatment plant. "Police have been present at the site on occasion through agreement between both parties involved in this civil matter. Our role there is to keep the peace." The water scheme, which the Far North District Council sold to Doubtless Bay Water in 2000, supplied fewer than 30 homes and businesses along Kāeo's main street. Doubtless Bay Water pulled out in 2008, saying the scheme was not viable. It was then bought for a token sum by Wai Care Environmental Consultants, which operated it ever since. Publicity around the 10-year boil water anniversary prompted the national water authority, Taumata Arowai, to visit Kāeo on July 23 with a list of expectations and a deadline for meeting them. Aldridge said he was under a self-imposed "gagging order" until early September and could not discuss progress until then. However, he said there would be a positive announcement to make after that time, and a public meeting would be organised. Melinda Sando, acting head of operations at Taumata Arowai, said staff had met the supplier and developed a plan for achieving safe drinking water. "The supplier has agreed to provide the authority with a plan of how expectations will be met within an agreed timeframe. "The time required to do this will be dependent on access to funding, installation, and commissioning of the equipment." Taumata Arowai staff did not inspect the plant during their visit. Sando said the authority took a "balanced approach" by helping suppliers achieve safe drinking water in a way that worked for them, while also taking public health concerns into account. "Noncompliance has been long-standing for many New Zealand drinking water suppliers and this will require financial investment to resolve. Long-term under-investment means change can't happen overnight, especially for smaller suppliers. "Becoming compliant costs communities money and it can take time to get the equipment and install it." Taumata Arowai would not provide details on the agreed timeframe for improvements. The Far North District Council said it did not want to take over the Kāeo water supply. Head of infrastructure Tanya Proctor said the council's preference was for the current owner-operator to work with Taumata Arowai on a solution. "The council has not considered taking over the Kāeo water supply nor has it allocated budget in the current LTP (Long-Term Plan) for this activity." Proctor said the council was waiting for further advice from the authority. Aldridge said part of the treatment plant was located on council road reserve. RNZ asked the council if that was the case but had not received a response by publication time. Under the Water Services Act 2021, Taumata Arowai had the power to order the council to take over the water supply. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
