Teachers' union drops Cambridge 'ban' idea

A Post-Primary Teachers' Association paper previously included lobbying for a ban of Cambridge and International Baccalaureate. Photo / iStock

The secondary teachers union will drop a proposed move to ban foreign qualifications, saying it was proving a "distraction" from the real issues around NCEA.

A Post-Primary Teachers' Association paper titled "The NCEA: Can it be saved" previously included lobbying for a ban of Cambridge and International Baccalaureate, alongside a series of other recommendations around how to ensure NCEA remained workable and robust.

The proposed ban has been hotly debated since it was raised, with NCEA supporters arguing foreign examinations undermined our local qualification, while Cambridge supporters argued its system was more robust, and there needed to be a choice.

PPTA members today voted for the paper at their national conference in Wellington, without the recommendation included after executive members decided to remove it.

President Angela Roberts said the union had opposed foreign exams for ten years and was not changing that position, but the inclusion of the "ban" line had taken away from the core issues in the NCEA paper.

"There are a number of other substantive issues and we don't want to stray from those - targets, workload, resourcing, and credit parity, for example," Ms Roberts said.

"With the inclusion of the ban, the paper was taking on too much."

Issues around NCEA dominated the teachers' conference, with a dozen teachers wanting to speak on what many labelled the "bureaucracy" of the qualification before the vote.

Junior Vice-President Hazel McIntosh gave a stirring speech, in which she said teachers were considering become more publicly critical of the qualification, after 15 years of support.

"The workload of NCEA has continued to run out of control and the resourcing we need to successfully implement, particularly internal assessment, remains shabby," Ms McIntosh said.

"A good deal of work comes from the government's 85% Level 2 target, which is turning teachers into credit retailers, desperately trying to help students will their shopping baskets with enough credits to get through the Level 2 checkout at the end."

She argued that there was still a lack of credit parity in the system, saying the private providers in particular were a problem.

"Nine credits at level 3 to describe and use traps to control possums? I know we have a possum problem but how many possum poisoners does New Zealand need? And is possum poisoning really a level 3 skill?"

Other teachers talked of the huge workload that came with NCEA, particularly around moderation, and also of their concerns about the reputation of the qualification.

NCEA was introduced in 2002 and replaced School Certificate, 6th Form Certificate and Bursary.

The PPTA vote means the recommendations in the report will now become Union policy.

What does the teachers' union say will save NCEA?

• Abolition of percentage achievement targets, which don't match with the principles of standards-based assessment like NCEA
• Credit parity - meaning the amount of work needed to get credits at each subject and level is similar
• Reduction in moderation requirements
• No more tinkering with NCEA unless it reduces teacher workload - and better consultation with teachers before changes
• More resourcing to ensure a wider range of options for students who stay until Year 13
• Reduced ability for universities to say what should be in the senior school curriculum
• Resisting privatisation, including the use of private companies to implement digital assessment

NCEA

• Introduced 2002.
• Subjects are broken down into a number of standards to assess specific skills.
• Is marked in achieved, merit and excellence.
• Has both internal and external standards.
• Three levels, generally sat at Year 11, 12 and 13.
• Recognised internationally.
• High achievement is recognised with endorsements.
• Students can go on to sit scholarship exams.

Cambridge

• Provided by Cambridge International Examinations, part of the University of Cambridge in Britain.
• Offers GCSE and International A and AS levels - based on the English school qualification system.
• Exams are at the end of the year, although some coursework is assessed internally.
• CIE are sat by about two million students in almost 170 countries.
• Offered by 60-plus schools in New Zealand.
• Recognised internationally.