Easy credits demotivate

new-zealand-national-party

Mon Nov 13 2006 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Easy credits demotivate

Monday, 13 November 2006, 9:00 am
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Giving students NCEA credits for simply holding a conversation lowers standards and is unfair to students who work hard for a credible qualification, says National’s Education spokesman, Bill English.

He is commenting on media reports that schools can give NCEA credits to students for turning up to school on time, holding a conversation with a friend, knowing how to apply for a benefit, choosing appropriate clothing, gift-wrapping a present, and a raft of other simple tasks.

“Students who have to work hard for their maths credits don't like to see their mates getting the same number of credits for simply turning up to school,” says Mr English.

“There may be benefits in incentives for students to turn up to school and stay motivated but using NCEA credits for this purpose undermines standards and motivation for students to gain new knowledge.

“Different students have different needs. NCEA tries too hard to make every type of learning the same. Learning chemistry is not the same as learning construction skills and both are different from basic personal skills like turning up to school.

“The Government needs to ensure that NCEA is fair to students and maintains standards by getting rid of NCEA credits that are far too easy.”

Ends

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}

Using Scoop for work?

Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.

Join Pro Individual Find out more

Find more from New Zealand National Party on InfoPages.