Update on reviews at NZQA

Just before QA News went to print, the Government announced its plans for New Zealand Scholarship.

The Government endorsed a series of recommendations made by an expert panel looking at the New Zealand Scholarship exams.

The key recommendation of the review group is that scholarship should be awarded to a set percentage of students in every subject. The review group recommends this percentage be set at a figure between two to three per cent of the total number of students studying a subject at NCEA Level 3.

A National Scholarship Monitoring Panel will be established to advise NZQA on the implementation of these recommendations. Proposed membership and terms of reference for the panel will be presented to Cabinet at the end of May. Final decisions on the target percentage will be made in conjunction with the panel.

The Minister of Education, Mr Benson-Pope, says some departure from this target may be necessary for individual subjects to preserve the integrity of the exam. This might happen in subjects where there are small numbers of students taking a subject or where there are low scholarship entry levels.

"The recommended changes will require students to be ranked, and we have been assured that this is possible within a standards-based system providing the examination is structured appropriately," said Mr Benson-Pope.

Mr Benson-Pope says Cabinet has endorsed all but one of the reference group's 26 recommendations. It has deferred a decision on whether all students gaining a scholarship should get a financial award until the Ministry of Education look at the issue. They will report back by 30 May on this issue.

Meanwhile, a review on the setting and management of the 2004 Scholarship examinations and, more widely, the performance of NZQA, is under way and being conducted by former senior public servant Doug Martin on behalf of the State Services Commission.

Mr Martin is a public management/public policy consultant with considerable experience in reviewing public sector organisations.

The part of the review concerning the introduction of the Scholarship qualification is to report by April 29; and the other – on the performance of the NZQA – by July 31.

The Board of NZQA is also undertaking a general review of processes. The review is separate from, but complementary to, the review under way by the State Services Commission.

A timeframe of four to six weeks has been set down for the Board's review. Board members Catherine Gibson, Warwick Bell and Angela Foulkes are carrying out the review.

Both management and staff at NZQA are giving their full support and cooperation to the review teams.

You can have your say too The State Services Commission is seeking feedback from teachers and scholarship students around the country to ensure that a wide range of input is provided to its review. A circular has been sent to all schools about how to make a submission. Details about the public submission process are available on our website: www.nzqa.govt.nz.