Writer of 'National MP' question takes a stand

The examiner who wrote a controversial NCEA question referring to a National MP says it would be a matter of "grave concern" if history exams avoided subjects for fear of offending today's politicians.

The unnamed examiner's defence of the question was yesterday tabled by NZQA chief executive Karen Van Rooyen at Parliament's education select committee, which is inquiring into the issue.

The Level One history question included a reference to a 1970s "National Party Member of Parliament not sympathetic to Maori concerns".

National's associate education spokesman Simon Power has labelled the question politically biased, while party leader Don Brash complained a cartoon of a hypothetical MP accompanying the question bore an unmistakable resemblance to himself.

The cartoon showed a bespectacled, balding man in a suit.

Ms Van Rooyen said in a forward to the examiner's report that she wanted to give an assurance the cartoon was not designed to satirise any individual.

The question was not judgmental and did not seek to invite students to denigrate or judge anyone's view, but instead asked them to argue the different views.

"The question was about an historical period. It was not about the views of the National Party or National MPs now."

The examiner's report said the NCEA achievement standard was designed to get students to explain different perspectives and actions "in role".

The particular question was about Maori land issues and as two Maori activists had been chosen - Dame Whina Cooper and Eva Rickard - a person with a contrasting view was sought.

As there were no obvious pressure groups fitting that category, an MP from the Government at the time - supporting the status quo - was chosen.

It would have been inappropriate to say a member of the Government in the 1960s and 70s - the period covered - because National and Labour had different perspectives on some Maori land issues at the time.

National was in Government for 17 of the potential years covered by the question and did have a contrary perspective to many Maori on issues of land at that time.

The examiner did not want to refer simply to a National MP because it risked generalising the perspectives of all National MPs of that period.

The question "did not prohibit the possibility of other National MPs of the time supporting the activists ... "

The artist drawing the illustration was directed it should reflect "a common view of the person being directed. For example, to have a young Maori women as representative of a National Party MP at this time would have been inappropriate ... "

Dr Brash was not in Parliament during the time under question and it was "astonishing" to suggest a likeness to him was suggested, the report said.

Examiners were already under considerable pressure to set fair and valid questions and "it would be a matter of grave concern, especially in a subject such as history, that areas of the course could not be examined for fear of offending politicians of the current generation".

If this were the case it raised questions about examining welfare policies during the Great Depression and still topical anti-nuclear policies.

"It would be tragic if an outcome of this controversy is that history teachers in New Zealand become accused of 'bowing to political pressure', 'rewriting history' ... or other such emotive terms."

Mr Power said the arguments didn't stack up and the question should have referred to a "Government MP of the time".

He repeated calls for NZQA to name the examiner, which it has refused to do.