Maharey admits defeat over NCEA

new-zealand-national-party

Fri Mar 23 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Maharey admits defeat over NCEA

Friday, 23 March 2007, 11:01 am
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Katherine Rich MP
National Party Education Spokeswoman

23 March 2007

Education Minister Steve Maharey’s latest comments show his lack of confidence in NCEA, and contradict everything he and the Labour Government have said about NCEA in the past three years, says National’s Education spokeswoman, Katherine Rich.

“Schools, students and parents who have relied on his slick assurances during that time will be shocked by his latest clearly expressed lack of confidence in NCEA,” says Mrs Rich.

Steve Maharey admitted in this morning’s New Zealand Herald that NCEA was not motivating students to work hard, and he was proposing modifications to be in place by the end of the year.

He says the modifications will reward top-performing students with more credits and could make difficult subjects worth more credits than easier ones.

“Until this point, he’s held the ideological line that all credits are equal – that a credit in calculus and a credit in litter collection are of the same value,” says Mrs Rich.

“This issue of student motivation is not new.

“He has been told time and time again by principals and teachers about NCEA’s issues with motivating students.

“In July last year, Victoria University’s report “The Impact of NCEA on Student Motivation” said the same thing.

“Steve Maharey had done nothing in the interim, but today concedes there are problems. He has done this for political expediency.

“Schools and parents don’t trust him to get things right any longer.

“He should agree to an independent review as called for by the Secondary Principals Association, the Principals Council and the National Party.

“The public won’t trust anything less.

“Is there anything Steve Maharey runs that doesn’t end up in a mess?”

ENDS

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