Real Life: The ‘cool’ NCEA assessment overseas educators can’t believe is allowed in New Zealand

a new NCEA assessment will allow New Zealand high school students to earn credits by being socially active in their community. Photo / NZME

Overseas educators are “staggered” by an NCEA assessment that allows New Zealand high school students to earn credits by being socially active in their community, says one of the country’s leading educators.

Dr Bronwyn Wood, a senior lecturer and international speaker on education from Victoria University, has been researching the NCEA social studies curriculum which gives students a chance to “take social action” as part of their academic work.

She told Newstalk ZB’s Real Life with John Cowan on Sunday night that to get credits, the students need to “undertake a small project for the betterment of the community around them”.

“When I take this to international conferences, people are staggered that we allow our young people to do that. That’s quite cool that we have that in New Zealand,” Wood said.

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She explained that through her research, it’s clear that Kiwi high schoolers are passionate about social causes.

“New Zealand young people today are increasingly involved in things like the School Strike for Climate and different protests and speaking up on things that really matter to them.

Dr Bronwyn Wood has been researching the NCEA social studies curriculum which gives students a chance to “take social action” as part of their academic work. Photo / Supplied

“They participate at one of the highest levels in the world when it comes to voluntary associations – they do things like collect for the SPCA or help out on the marae. They’re also highly involved in cultural and sports groups.”

Those most likely to get involved in civic action are “well-heeled” young people, Wood says, which means a ‘civic gap’ has formed where students outside of the elite are not getting the same opportunities to participate in school leadership roles or be involved in social causes.

Despite this, she says, every student she’s met during her research has an issue that they want to do something about – which is partly why she supports the political movement to give 16-year-olds the ability to vote.

She says the recent Brexit and Scottish independence referendums are examples of major political decisions where young people who didn’t get the chance to have their say will be deeply impacted.

School Strike for Climate protesters on Lambton Quay march to Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“Sure, [older people] won the vote, but it’s the young people that wear that – and I understand they would not have voted for that. That’s really that unfairness.

“The issues of today will impact young people even more than they’ll affect old people. Therefore in the sense of social justice, young people really deserve a say on the things that will impact them.”

“In the sense of justice for many, there would be a sense that getting young people involved early would allow them to have a greater say on these things.”

In a wide-ranging interview on Real Life, Wood spoke about how to get young people interested in politics, her family’s hair-raising escape from a warzone in Lebanon, and owning her Christian faith in an academic context.

Real Life is a weekly interview show where John Cowan speaks with prominent guests about their life, upbringing, and the way they see the world. Tune in Sundays from 7:30pm on Newstalk ZB.