KEY POINTS:
A group of Otago high school pupils are outraged they will have to sit another maths exam after the school ordered two wrong papers for the NCEA Level 1 mathematics exam.
Taieri College near Mosgiel entered pupils in the wrong algebra and graphing papers for NCEA Level 1 mathematics, so when pupils went to the exam room on Monday, they were faced with unexpected questions.
Principal Christina Herrick said the error was caused by a computer glitch and human error. "The school should have been more rigorous in checking the correct standards were attached. The responsibility for this lies with us here at Taieri College."
The blunder has angered pupils and their parents because NZQA cannot let pupils redo the correct papers. NZQA has discussed the issue with the chief examiner for mathematics and found the standards had very similar content.
NZQA deputy chief executive (qualifications), Bali Haque said there would be sufficient evidence to measure pupils against the standard they should have sat and they would be given appropriate credit for the achievement shown at each grade. This means they could still achieve merit or excellence. The chief examiner would personally mark the papers, he said.
However, a Taieri College Year 11 pupil who did not want to be named was one of about 75 pupils affected by the mistake and said he was not confident he had done enough in the exam to pass, let alone get merit or excellence.
"I was shocked when I opened the exam paper. The questions looked completely different to the ones we were expecting. I attempted everything but some of the equations couldn't be answered in the way we had been taught. So I'm not confident I will have passed. Most of those sitting the exam will be in the same boat."
To make sure pupils were not unfairly disadvantaged, Taieri College would allow those affected by the exam mistake to sit unit standard papers next Monday. Unit standard papers would allow pupils to get the credits they would have missed out on, but only at an achieved level.
Mrs Herrick said the other alternative was for the pupils to sit the correct NCEA papers next year at no extra cost.
However, pupils and their parents were still angry because the "solutions" may stop them from achieving excellence endorsements.
The Taieri College pupil said most pupils were aiming for achieved with merit in algebra which was a school requirement to sit Level 2 achievement standard exams the following year.
The merit credits would also be counted towards getting Level 1 certificates endorsed with achieved, merit or excellence.
He said it was "OK" to blame everything on a computer program, but he questioned why school staff failed to check the papers were correct.
Mrs Herrick said the school had put a system in place to make sure it never happened again.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
