Academics lukewarm on NCEA scholarship revamp

Teachers are giving the Government an 'A' for its NCEA scholarship test, but say it still needs to hit the books to solve the system's other problems.

The Government-established expert panel has recommended that in future, two to three percent of students in every subject should get scholarships, to counter this year's problems with widely varying results.

PPTA president Debbie Te Whaiti says the union supports the plan, but she says the same urgency and expertise must be brought to bear on wider NCEA problems.

Ms Te Whaiti says the NCEA system is only only three-quarters of the way to being sorted out.

She says if outside expertise is brought to bear on other problems with the qualifications system, similar results can be achieved.

However, universities are lukewarm about the government's solutions.

The University Vice Chancellors Committee acknowledges the plan overcomes the problem of wildly varying results, but scholarship committee convener David Parry is still not convinced standards-based assessment is the best way to rank top students.

Professor Parry says having the same percentage pass in each subject does not necessarily represent the ability of students. He says some subjects are more academic and attract a higher standard of student.


- NEWSTALK ZB