NCEA Moratorium will be Debated

act-new-zealand

Thu Dec 05 2002 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

NCEA Moratorium will be Debated

Thursday, 5 December 2002, 4:08 pm
Press Release: ACT New Zealand

ACT Education Spokesman Donna Awatere Huata is delighted her NCEA Moratorium Bill has been drawn from the private members' ballot, and will be debated before parliament.

"My Bill will halt the extension of NCEA to the sixth and seventh form level for two years. It does not affect the continuation of NCEA for fifth form students. This will give us all a chance to find out if the flaws of NCEA can be ironed out, or if the framework needs to be fundamentally revised.

"NCEA was introduced with no pilot trial and no staggered introduction. No independent, major research has ever been commissioned by the Minister of Education to examine the effects of this qualification framework. And despite evidence NCEA is very similar to a failed overseas qualification, the bureaucrats and politicians have steamed on.

"I believe NCEA is a dangerous experiment being inflicted on our children. This Bill, however, takes the middle of the road by leaving room for NCEA's defenders to make their case. It simply gives us all some breathing room to get research completed, and find out if the design flaws of NCEA can be fixed. This is best described as a `precautionary approach'. Who could possibly argue against an opportunity to stop and carefully consider what is best for our children?

"I will be seeking cross-party support, and I urge all members of parliament to give this legislation a chance by keeping an open mind.

"I believe schools and teachers should be allowed to have a say, so I have independently set up informal committee hearings in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland next week to hear about real-life experience implementing Year One of NCEA," Mrs Awatere Huata said.

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