Auckland Grammar first state school to reject NCEA exams

**mashman** · 16th January 2011, 18:14

A state school... don't they have a curriculum that they're supposed to follow?

**Mully** · 16th January 2011, 18:16

Are they a proper State School? I thought they were one of them 50/50 jobs. A lot of the Private ones have been dropping NCEA for Cambridge.....

I like this bit:

The school would allow some exceptions by letting weaker students sit NCEA English and maths exams, the newspaper reported

Excellent.

**mashman** · 16th January 2011, 18:32

Originally Posted by Mully

Are they a proper State School? I thought they were one of them 50/50 jobs. A lot of the Private ones have been dropping NCEA for Cambridge.....

Dunno. I would have thought a school would have to be one or the other...

yeah i saw that bit and wondered if it would come down to drawing straws for the Cambridge exam places. Can't imagine the parents of those "weaker" kids will take too kindly to the label... isn't it all about genetics

**Swoop** · 16th January 2011, 19:13

Fucking SUPERB.

May LOTS of other schools follow!

**Oakie** · 16th January 2011, 19:19

Interviewed tonight the principal said that the Cambridge model demands continual effort while with NCEA being internally assessed thru the year, the boys get enough credits to pass then stop working.

**PrincessBandit** · 16th January 2011, 22:14

We are constantly pressured to keep students "motivated to keep learning" through to the end of the year, despite them already having achieved sufficient credits for NCEA. I mean honestly, how many kids are going to keep working their butts off when they've already met the requirements? A bit like banging your head against a brick wall really. It's quite something to be told "I don't want to do this - I already have enough credits so I'm not gonna..." Oh joy.

**rebel** · 16th January 2011, 22:24

Good, NCEA was only bought in for the lowest common denominator typical of our PC Govts. Its just not right these days if someone gets a 90% while the shit fight who puts in minimal effort gets 55%. They want us all to achieve and live in a idealistic world, too bad reality bites us in the arse sooner or later.

**Jantar** · 16th January 2011, 22:36

Originally Posted by PrincessBandit

... I mean honestly, how many kids are going to keep working their butts off when they've already met the requirements? ....

That was the attititude of 2 of my 3 kids. Bring back a comprehensive end of year exam that really tests how much knowledge and ability the student has retained long term rather than just long enough to be assessed.

**SPman** · 17th January 2011, 00:50

Originally Posted by rebel

Good, NCEA was only bought in for the lowest common denominator typical of our PC Govts. Its just not right these days if someone gets a 90% while the shit fight who puts in minimal effort gets 55%. They want us all to achieve and live in a idealistic world, too bad reality bites us in the arse sooner or later.

What's wrong with a 55% pass...it used to be called a "gentlemans pass" at uni.....do enough work to get through your exams, but not so much that you forgo a comprehensive social life........

**EJK** · 17th January 2011, 00:57

What's so bad about NCEA? Someone enlighten me? I went through it with no probs.

**Jantar** · 17th January 2011, 07:14

Originally Posted by EJK

... I went through it with no probs.

And that is the problem.

**ellipsis** · 17th January 2011, 07:25

...bloody good...at last, somebody saying, no, to their namby pamby, everyones a winner pc bullshit...I hope it opens the gate and a lot more follow...

**Banditbandit** · 17th January 2011, 08:35

Originally Posted by Swoop

Fucking SUPERB.

May LOTS of other schools follow!

Originally Posted by rebel

Good, NCEA was only bought in for the lowest common denominator typical of our PC Govts. Its just not right these days if someone gets a 90% while the shit fight who puts in minimal effort gets 55%. They want us all to achieve and live in a idealistic world, too bad reality bites us in the arse sooner or later.

Originally Posted by CAMSec

...bloody good...at last, somebody saying, no, to their namby pamby, everyones a winner pc bullshit...I hope it opens the gate and a lot more follow...

Why is this school looking to tests from a country that is ranked 13th in the OECD education stats for student achievement - when good old Godzone is rated fourth ?

http://www.geographic.org/country_ra...2009_oecd.html

Do you want to drop us down that list? Our kids are achieving more in school in readings, maths and science than the Brits ... or the US which comes in at 33rd ...

**rapid van cleef** · 17th January 2011, 09:29

Originally Posted by Banditbandit

Why is this school looking to tests from a country that is ranked 13th in the OECD education stats for student achievement - when good old Godzone is rated fourth ?

http://www.geographic.org/country_ra...2009_oecd.html

Do you want to drop us down that list? Our kids are achieving more in school in readings, maths and science than the Brits ... or the US which comes in at 33rd ...

what data are those results based upon?

i can tell you first hand that from my experience of teaching in the uk for 8 years and here for 4 years that the there is no parity of equivalent standards of testing at same age/ school levels. the actual difficulty of the work a 16 yr old student here does compared to a 16 yr old uk student is much easier.

thats not a reflection on the students, its the system, which again is not the teachers, its the government standards.

now to be shot down in flames i pressume.