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What NCEA means for your children
The Qualification
NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) is the major qualification your children will be studying for while at secondary school. It is New Zealand's main national qualification for secondary school students and is part of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
This means it is the major qualification employers look for when employing school-leavers. It is also the qualification tertiary institutions like polytechs or universities look for when students enrol for courses.
Equip for life
NCEA is part of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Your children will be able to use their NCEAs and some of the standards they may have studied at school as building blocks for other qualifications gained during and after school.
For example, some of the unit standards gained at school may count towards other National Diplomas or Certificates gained by studying courses at a private training provider after leaving school.
New Zealand now has an integrated system of standards and qualifications which allows people to continue studying and gaining qualifications throughout their lives - starting with NCEA.
Year-long assessment
One of the things you will notice about how NCEA affects your children that will be different from when you were at school, is that they will be assessed throughout the year. In most subjects learning is assessed both internally and externally.
External assessments are the end-of-year exams run by NZQA. These are much like they were throughout the 20th century. What is different in the 21st century is that there is a much greater use of internal assessment. This is done by the teachers at your children's school.
You may find that your children feel under stress because of the pressure to 'pass' an assessment, and that this stress will be felt throughout the year. This may affect their behaviour, and their ability to participate in other activities.
Can you help them?
Yes. In addition to understanding the stress they may be feeling, you can help them by:
- providing an environment in which they can study
- taking an active interest in their learning
- showing them some study tips.
Last updated: 12 February 2008