Secondary School principals are welcoming a review of NCEA. Photo / File
Hawke's Bay principals are welcoming a review of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) after the members of the Ministerial Advisory Group were announced last week.
Hawke's Bay Secondary Principals' Association chairman and Taradale High School principal Stephen Hensman said it was timely.
"Now that NCEA has been established for longer, we are seeing more clearly the aspects of it that aren't working."
He believes the system has been "highly successful in lots of ways" but has had some unintended consequences and suggests that now is the time to look at those objectively and perhaps make changes to the structure of NCEA.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the members of the advisory group were "innovative thinkers" who will advise both himself and the ministry on the review of the NCEA to take place this year.
The group members are chairman Jeremy Baker, Barbara Cavanagh, Pauline Waiti, Michelle Dickinson ("Nanogirl"), Jonathan Gee, Arizona Leger and Charles Darr.
The Ministerial Advisory Group will meet for the first time this week and has been tasked with leading the creation of a discussion document on NCEA that will form the basis of a wider, public consultation on NCEA which is to commence in April 2018, Mr Hipkins said.
The review will focus on the over-assessment of students and teacher workload as well as looking at the role of each level of NCEA, particularly the structure and relevance of NCEA Level 1 and whether all young people should attempt it.
"I wanted a group of advisers with diverse and potentially disruptive views to challenge us and I am confident they will do that."
He believed the review is a hugely important opportunity to refine and modernise what has been a very well-performing qualification system to ensure it serves the needs of secondary students and prepares them for life.
"The group's role is to shape the strategic direction and content of the discussion document, supported by the Ministry of Education and with input from a NCEA stakeholders, including students, parents, whānau, teachers, school leaders, tertiary providers, iwi, employers, and members of the wider community."
Similarly, Tamatea High School principal Robin Fabish said he was happy with the prospect of an NCEA review and the two issues that Mr Hipkins had identified; over-assessing students and teacher workload as a result of over-assessing.
"I am very comfortable with exploring the idea of reducing the number of credits assessed at level 1 particularly. Assessment isn't required to validate learning. It isn't always necessary to do a written assignment or examination to prove that you've learned something or been able to memorise an essay - we run the risk of killing a love of learning by assessing with a pass or fail model.
"We need to support students and adults alike to set a goal to learn a skill or knowledge and keep going until they've met the goal."
He said the challenge is to help young people to find those things that they are passionate to learn about, help them to follow that passion and see what assessments naturally fall out of that.
"Currently, many schools are using assessments to drive learning which is a bit back to front.
"The difficulty is that changes might mean more work in the short term while teachers and students come to grips with operating in a different way, but I would hope that student motivation, real learning and success will improve.
"I'm looking forward to the review and hope to be able to have some input."
St John's College principal Paul Melloy believed the review needed to go ahead as the system has been in place since 2004.
"I think the amount of assessment needed and the number of credits available are excessive. I think a 100% internal course at Level 1 would lessen anxiety, preparing students for a more robust Level 2 and 3."
"Every assessment system has faults. The biggest issue with NCEA is over assessment. Too many credits, too many units results in over assessment. Pedagogy should be based on knowledge, not assessment focussed."
Although, he noted that helps those students who struggle academically, as they work hard to attain credits and in most cases, are successful.
"Prior to NCEA, New Zealand had a huge failure rate, with too many students leaving school without any qualification. This is NCEA's greatest achievement."
Towards the end of the year the Minister of Education will produce a set of recommendations which will be released in early 2019 in a report that will also lay out the next steps to implementation.
Opposition MPs Nikki Kaye and David Seymour will have the opportunity to take part in the consultation process.
The group has been appointed for an initial term of one year commencing on February 1, 2018, and expiring on January 31, 2019.