Top scholar to receive $45,000

The Government is phasing in a new award system that will give the country's top student $15,000 a year for three years.

The $200 and $100 awards to A and B bursary students and the existing one-off top scholar awards will be phased out over three years as the new system comes in.

The new awards will cost the Government about $2.5 million, the same as the existing award system.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard said that for the first time, top scholars in individual schools would be recognised.

Those awards would go to the top student in each school who had achieved scholarship standard in three subjects, he said.

The majority of schools would have a top student who met these criteria and "these people will be really good role models for the younger students".

From next year, bursaries would be replaced by two qualifications - level three of National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) and the New Zealand Scholarship qualification.

"The new scholarship is a level four qualification, clearly in advance of what we have now, to challenge students in their final year of schooling, so it is appropriate that the monetary awards are substantial."

The level four qualification was the equivalent of doing a university paper, said Mr Mallard.

"We expect only the very top students will enter for it."

Scholarship would be externally examined with some subjects calling for a portfolio of work to be presented.

To receive the cash awards, those entering had to be studying at a tertiary institution in New Zealand and they had to be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.

Mr Mallard said the Government was attempting to "stretch" the very best students in the country and reward them.

"What this is about is recognition of excellence.

"I think in New Zealand we're very good at acknowledging sports people, we're getting a lot better at acknowledging artists and people in that area, but we haven't been as good at acknowledging academic excellence as I think we should be.

"I think that we will have people chasing this because these rewards are certainly worthwhile."

Few believed the $200 and $100 prizes offered to bursary students were worthwhile and research showed substantial rewards had to be offered to change behaviour, Mr Mallard said.

The new awards were expected to go to about 100 top students.

There were no obligations on students as to how they spent the money but Mr Mallard said he hoped they would use it to pay their tertiary fees.

New scholarship awards


Two top overall scholars:

* First: $15,000 a year for three years.

* Second: $10,000 a year for three years.

New Zealand Scholars (for "outstanding performance" in three scholarship subjects):

* $5000 a year for three years.

Top scholar in each subject*:

* $3000 a year for three years.

School awards (for the top student in each school who achieved New Zealand Scholarship in three subjects).

* $1500 a year for three years.

* Or in NCEA level three where there was no scholarship assessment.

** The new awards replace Bursary and existing one-off scholar awards.

- NZPA

Herald Feature: Education

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