NZQA initiatives for Christchurch

26 Aug 2011

NZQA Deputy Chief Executive Qualifications, Bali Haque, said NZQA has been working closely with schools to ensure an effective plan has been developed for the assessment of NCEA in Christchurch schools.

Mr Haque said the strategies NZQA had in place to minimise the earthquakes’ affects on students were still appropriate and that these initiatives were able to cope with any further events that led to sustained absences from school including bad weather.

“We want to assure parents and students that we have implemented a plan to minimise disadvantage to students as a result of the earthquakes and any other loss of school time.”

The initiatives we currently have in place include establishing a separate Earthquake Impaired Derived Grade process, where teachers provide NZQA with a grade based on evidence produced during the year reflecting the grade a student would have received for their external assessment if their performance had not been impaired.

“NZQA has also developed a special credit inclusion appeal process. School leavers, who have narrowly missed achieving their Level 3 NCEA and/or University Entrance, could apply for this if their situation hadn’t been satisfactorily addressed in other ways.”

Mr Haque said it was important that students attend end of year exams if at all possible as students would not be eligible for an earthquake affected derived grade without sitting any exam they had unless they had a legitimate family or medical issue.

“Students should prepare thoroughly for the external exams as their exam grades remain important. However, if students don’t perform as well in their exams a derived grade could be used in preference.”

Mr Haque said NZQA is continuing to monitor the situation and is in regular contact with Christchurch schools regarding their students’ progress towards NCEA.  

Initiatives for students being implemented by NZQA included:

• For external assessment, (mainly examinations) a Earthquake Impaired Derived Grade process grade process will be established based on the procedures used successfully for Christchurch students after the September 2010 earthquake
• School leavers, who have narrowly missed achieving their Level 3 NCEA and/or University Entrance, could apply for a special credit inclusion appeal process
• The requirements for course endorsement for earthquake affected students have also been relaxed.  Students will still need to get 14 credits at Merit or Excellence, but the requirements about the mix of internal and external assessment used will not be applied to Christchurch schools.