'We are emotionally broken': Hospitality students in financial limbo for six months

Seventeen students had to resubmit assignments to be independently assessed by an external moderator. Photo / Getty Images

Seventeen students at an Auckland trade school have been left in unemployed limbo requiring up to $12,000 each in financial support, due to issues including marking.

Last year, vocational education provider NZMA discovered "assessment practice by a tutor that did not meet required standards" in its Diploma in Tourism and Hotel Management (Level 7).

As a consequence, 17 students taking the course have been required to resubmit varying levels of assignments to be independently assessed by an external moderator - a course of action approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). They had been due to graduate last year

Hatim Poonawala is one Indian international student at NZMA required to resubmit assignments, and says he and classmates have been "really suffering" because they are unable to find work while on extended student visas.

"It's been six months since we finished our course. We have taken a loan in our country and now we have to pay our loan and we don't have money to survive. Some have lost their jobs, I lost my opportunity because we can't do full-time [work]," Poonawala told the Herald.

"We are emotionally broken and we desperately need some help as I don't want to go home empty-handed as I have family back home who expect me to do something good with my life, and likewise for them as well."

NZMA chief executive Mark Worsop described the issue as relating to "poor assessment design and marking" of the course curriculum.

While not providing details on the tutor's marking, Worsop added: "All students are of varying abilities, and NZMA holds all students to the same level of accountability."

The remedial plan approved by NZQA involves students resubmitting some assignments, which are then marked by NZMA staff, and then sent to an independent moderator for approval.

"As student work needed to be sent to external organisations for the moderation process, there were some delays, including some students not submitting their assessments on time," Worsop said.

"Unfortunately, this has resulted in some delays for 17 students, which has led to student frustration. We share this frustration, but we are not willing to undermine the process."

All of the 17 hospitality students impacted were offered up to $12,000 in financial support from NZMA.

Worsop said five students were "highly compensated" because of the need for them to "resubmit a number of assessments, and the additional time and visa extensions required".

The remaining 12 students had less coursework to resubmit, but were "well compensated" to support their living costs during the course extensions, Worsop said.

NZQA deputy chief executive Eve McMahon said it had been advised the 17 affected students would be able to graduate from July 5, provided they were eligible after resubmitting and passing all required assignments.

The course itself, Diploma in Tourism and Hotel Management (Level 7), is currently not on the NZMA website, and chief executive Worsop said it was awaiting confirmation from NZMA to re-advertise the course.

Despite this quality assessment of NZMA's hospitality course, NZQA's McMahon said it was still "highly confident" of NZMA's "educational performance and capability in self-assessment" overall, citing the school's last external review in December 2017.