Elite exam worries principals

The Qualifications Authority should come clean on scholarship results amid claims the distribution of awards in the elite exams is unfair, a Wellington headmaster says.

Scholarship exams have replaced awards based on top Bursary marks, but principals say the first results show worrying inconsistencies in the number of scholarships awarded among subjects.

Sources say only about 90 of 1100 students who sat chemistry and nine of 1000 who sat biology got Scholarships, compared with about a third of the 900 students who sat English.

Accounting, geography and languages are also said to be subjects where Scholarships were more generously given.

Wellington College headmaster Roger Moses said his students gained about 46 Scholarship passes but achieved fewer in physics, chemistry and biology than expected.

Other principals reported the same pattern.

The issue is complicated by the big bonuses paid to students who achieve top marks in the exams, ranging from about $6000 for passing three Scholarship subjects, to $22,500 for top marks in three subjects and $45,000 for the top performer.

Associate Education Minister David Benson-Pope said he had asked the NZQA for a report.

The authority had made him aware of an early trend that the number of Scholarships was lower than previous years.

"If their report identifies an issue then I will take action to resolve it."

Mr Moses said he did not have a problem with the exams.

"It's the outcomes, it's the consistency, especially when students are competing for a lot of money. An 18-year-old should have the same chance in accounting or physics."

The authority is refusing to comment, saying the results are provisional, but Mr Moses said it should issue the statistics now and "let them speak for themselves".

Onslow College principal Stuart Martin said an investigation would show if concerns were warranted.

"Just because 60 per cent got Scholarships in one subject and 10 per cent got it in another doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with the exam.

"It may well be to do with the kids who chose to enter science subjects."

- NZPA