School Certificate, Sixth form Certificate and University Entrance were sorting mechanisms. As long as students passed they could stay at school. When they failed they left. Most entered the work force. It was the employer’s job to train their new employees.

 

The ultimate reward for the top students was an entitlement to go to University; to go to University for a very small cost.

 

Subjects were mainly academic. There were only a few vocational subjects and many subjects such as Phys Ed and Computing that provide large numbers of jobs now were not included as exam subjects.

 

Work has become more skilled. It has become more dependent on sophisticated technology. It demands more flexibility and more creativity. The world economy has become more global and more competitive.

 

School qualifications had to move from the simple sorting out role they had for many years. Qualifications had to reflect more of what students actually knew and what skills they possessed. Qualifications also had to become something that more people could obtain

 

Now as all people aren’t equal and jobs range from the extremely intellectually demanding to the physically skilful, qualifications need to provide pathways for a wide range of potential vocations.

 

So NCEA has been set up on these two principles:

A student’s standard of knowledge and skill should be reflected in the qualification, which

should make clear what standard of knowledge and skill is expected to obtain it.

 

The qualification should provide for achievement in a wide range of endeavours, while making clear what endeavour the qualification has been earned within.

 

To argue it from purely humanitarian grounds; all students deserve recognition for they what achieve. To say that an achievement in Physics is more demanding than an achievement in retail skills is to state the obvious. It is none the less fair that a student who meets standards of knowledge and skill required in Physics should have that recognised as should the student who meets the standard in Retail Skills.

 

These days a qualification is what opens doors for students. A huge number of jobs from the professional to the semi-skilled demand formal qualifications, apprenticeships or formally recognised training.   I hope parents expect schools to be able to provide the qualifications that give students choices and that open doors to career pathways for them whatever their child’s ability.

 

NCEA Certificates reflect a broad, national achievement in whatever field a student studies. By itself the Certificate only states that a student has accumulated a certain number of credits. It does not and cannot reveal what was studied. In the same way that a BBus degree reveals that a student has studied business but does not reveal whether the area of study was economics, accounting, marketing, advertising or human resource management. To find the answer about the degree you would look at the transcript which shows what was studied, the level to which it was studied and the grade received. NCEA is the same. To find out what was studied, the level to which it studied and the grades (if relevant) received you look at a student’s Record of Learning. It immediately becomes obvious that not all NCEA Level 1 Certificates are the same.

 

NCEA can and does recognise achievement at many different levels. It does so without confusion once the Record of Learning is consulted.