Teacher blamed for NCEA blunder

By STUART DYE

A rogue relief teacher is being blamed for the latest blunder in the NCEA system.

Students at Hauraki Plains College were awarded NCEA credits despite doing little work - and in some cases none at all.

The work included one book with no answers, some illegible writing, a booklet completed in three weeks that should have taken 30 teaching hours, and evidence that students had copied answers. All students were given the relevant credits.

A teacher from the decile-four school at Ngatea contacted the authors of NCEA booklets with concerns over the assessment standards.

"It is beyond doubt that most of the marked assessments that I reviewed would not meet the national standard," said Rodney Young, manager of Instant Unit Standards, which provides teaching and assessment guides and booklets to about 800 schools.

Mr Young was sent a selection of student work which, he said, "clearly stated students could demonstrate particular skills or knowledge, when they quite possibly cannot".

Instant Unit Standards is a commercial provider to schools and Mr Young, a qualified assessor and moderator, said he wrote to the college to warn staff about the potential for problems.

"My concern is not just from the point of best practice but also out of the integrity and reputation of your school," he wrote.

Ngaire Harris, principal at the 500-student college, blamed the "one-off" slip-up on a relief teacher who had failed to follow established practices.

He had tried to "tidy things up" before leaving and had assessed work without having it moderated as required.

All students had since had the credits removed and the system had been reviewed to ensure robust processes were in place.

"A mistake was made and as soon as it was brought to my attention I did everything right to correct it."

Mrs Harris said she had called in the Qualifications Authority to view the school's practices.

"We are confident that systems and processes have since been put in place to ensure that this could not happen again, and that both the integrity and rigour of our assessment practices are of an excellent standard."

Authority spokeswoman Kate Colbert confirmed that a school relationship manager would visit the college at its request to review assessment procedures.

Ms Colbert said the school "acted professionally and swiftly as soon as the matter came to light".

The hiccup comes after principal Alison Annan resigned from Cambridge High School following a damning NZQA report on mark manipulation.

NCEA critics point to Cambridge High as the tip of far-reaching problems with the assessment system that replaced School Certificate, Sixth Form Certificate and Bursary.