NZQA commits to change

The State Services Commission report into the performance of NZQA in delivering school qualifications, released in August, says the organisation's culture has been shaped by constant change and uncertainty in its leadership.

Acting Chief Executive of NZQA Karen Sewell says work has already begun on making significant changes within the organisation.

Actions initiated this year to change the culture include:

The report also says the Qualifications Authority needs to communicate better with parents and employers, in particular.

"We do need to provide clearer information about NCEA to the public. We also need to provide greater assistance to schools to enable them to explain details of secondary qualifications to parents," Karen Sewell says.

"I was not surprised by any of the findings in the report. In fact, many of the issues raised have already been identified and are being dealt with, for example, a considerable amount of work is being done to minimise variability in results this year."

Karen Sewell said independent advice on variability was being sought from two groups of external experts, one focusing on assessment and the other on processes (see page 3).

"It is encouraging that the report recognises that, while there were difficulties with the implementation of NCEA, the majority of schools and stakeholders believe that NCEA is enhancing learning outcomes for students."

The report also notes that NZQA deserves credit for what has been achieved so far, as does the teaching profession.