Cambridge test gains ground on NCEA system

By STUART DYE

Student entry into Cambridge International Exams has almost tripled in two years as a staunch pocket of the education community turns its back on the NCEA.

While the Government insists its standards-based assessment is here to stay, a small but growing number of schools offer CIE as an alternative.

Over the weekend they gathered for the first conference of the Association of Cambridge Schools in New Zealand.

More than 140 school leaders and teachers from about 25 secondary schools were at the Bright Minds, Bright Future conference, held in Auckland.

Principal of Corran School, and CIE advocate, Jacqueline Scorgie said CIE had "raised the bar" in New Zealand.

"It has also provided flexibility for students to find a good match between their learning programmes and their abilities, interests and career goals," she said.

Teachers and students were responding positively to the academic rigour of CIE, with young New Zealanders among those ranked top in the world in CIE subjects last year.

Ms Scorgie said the conference was not about division from the National Certificate of Education, but about being able to "fine tune the way CIE dovetails with other programmes and delivers quality education".

The domestic increase in CIE mirrors the international picture. Worldwide, growth in CIE is second only to the US's SAT system in terms of number of enrolled students. It comes under the auspices of the University of Cambridge in Britain, is offered in more than 180 countries and sat by over 300,000 students a year.

"CIE is now well established in New Zealand and has earned the respect of educators, parents, universities, and employers," said Mrs Scorgie.

Conference attendees included high-ranking UK CIE staff and Tongan Education Minister Paula Bloomfield.

CIE in New Zealand

* More than 40 independent and state schools now offer the CIE qualification - some as their sole academic assessment at years 11, 12 and 13, and others as a mix with NCEA on a subject by subject basis.

* Since its introduction to New Zealand in 2002, the number of CIE subjects sat by New Zealand students has grown exponentially and this year nearly 5000 students nationwide will sit over 14,000 CIE subjects.

* Subject entries for IGCSE (sat by year 11 students in New Zealand) will total 7016 - an increase from 2590 in 2002. Subject entries for AS and A Level (sat locally by year 12 and 13 students) will total 6854 this year, an increase from 720 in 2002.

* CIE is not recognised by the Government, but Ministry of Education regulations are that state schools are able to offer alternative exam systems provided they also offer recognised qualifications, such as the NCEA. However, it is widely approved by universities, education providers and employers across the globe.

Herald Feature: Education

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