Covid 19 coronavirus: Principals welcome NCEA changes for Auckland students

Auckland high school students affected by two lockdowns will need fewer NCEA credits to pass than those in the rest of the country.

And struggling teens will also have the option of catching up in summer school if necessary, and students pursuing good grades will need slightly fewer credits to reach an NCEA level with Merit or Excellence, the government announced.

Principals are welcoming the move, saying it will be a relief to students and parents who have been disturbed by Covid-19 and the restrictions without undermining the integrity of the NCEA by providing free credits.

“It’s a really good move. There will be many students, teachers and families relieved by the announcement of some additional learning recognition credits,” said Auckland High School Principals Association President Steve Hargreaves.

Hargreaves said a “very common theme” among Auckland students was the struggle to catch up after the second lockdown and school counselors had been very busy trying to calm students down and help them focus.

“His learning has been disrupted, but in fact the entire year has been disrupted, whether it’s family life, social connections, or student leadership opportunities, all aspects of his life.”

Changes are based on the previously announced bonus credit system for all students.

Instead of earning one additional credit for every five they have earned at the end of the year, students in Auckland, who were unable to go to school for an additional two and a half weeks due to the recent outbreak, will earn one bonus credit for every four earned .

Auckland students will be eligible for a maximum of 16 bonus credits at level 1 and 12 at levels 2 and 3. For the rest of the country, the maximums are 10 and eight.

And for students requiring up to 10 credits, the limit on the number of enrollments at Te Kura Correspondence School during the summer term will increase from 1,000 to 4,000 students.

The program will also be expanded for students at risk of dropping out of education in period 4. The program would last up to five days a week, but would be flexible for students working part-time with Ministry of Education officials who estimate that about 400 students will probably participate.

In addition, students who would have set out to reach an NCEA level with a Certificate of Merit or Excellence will need fewer credits and the threshold will drop to 44 credits for Aucklanders and 46 for the rest of the country. The usual threshold is 50.

The Education Ministry council said it was difficult to estimate the impact of lowering the threshold, but based on last year’s results, they could see up to 250 more students receiving certificates at each level.

Hargreaves said it hardly mattered how many would benefit from the measure because students in that group who wanted to get good grades set a fairly high standard for themselves and would help ease the pressure.

“I think what we have is a package that will generally make students feel more comfortable as we tackle the end of the year.

“In the end, whether it makes a big difference or makes a lot more students cross the line or not, I think it’s not that important. It’s about showing students that we care about them, that we understand what they are about. happening and that They provide something that is intended to meet their needs. “

Hargreaves said that the NZQA and the directors were truly aware that it was necessary to maintain the credibility of the NCEA and believed that this package succeeded.

“They’re not just giving away credits for doing nothing, they’re labeled to learn and get,” he said.

“They are good students, they have worked hard.”

Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the measures would provide “immediate relief” to students, teachers and whānau who were concerned about the impact of the second lockdown on the NCEA, while maintaining the credibility and reputation of the NCEA. qualification.

In their advice, officials also warned that the changes could mean that the NZQA would have to delay the release of NCEA results until January 2021 “putting significant pressure on school planning” and the tertiary sector.

Hargreaves said the delay was relatively short, but universities had already indicated that they would use discretion for their admission in 2021.