COVID-19 Updates and resources
Thank you for your continued work and extra efforts to support students in their engagement and learning through the different variants of lockdown.
With end of year assessments on the horizon, we know how difficult it continues to be for students, teachers and their whānau nationwide.
As the Minister of Education announced on 2 September, changes to NCEA and University Entrance are available for those who accumulate more than 20 school days in Alert Level 3 or 4.
These were set at the same level as those announced in June 2020 but come into effect sooner, as last year’s interventions followed 7 weeks of nationwide lockdown.
The threshold of 20 school days was set in 2021 to provide certainty to the sector about when support would be available and to reflect the time of year in relation to learning and assessment.
NZQA and the Ministry have worked with the Minister’s Professional Advisory Group and other sector leaders to consider how we make sure all students receive appropriate support.
The Government has decided that students disrupted by 16 days of COVID-19 lockdown this year will be eligible to receive Learning Recognition Credits (LRCs) at a rate of 1 LRC per 5 credits achieved through assessment, up to a cap of 8 LRCs at NCEA Level 1, and 6 LRCs and Levels 2 and 3.
The thresholds for being awarded endorsements and University Entrance will remain at their normal levels for students who have not been disrupted for 20 school days. By way of comparison, please note that UE changes and endorsement changes did not apply until 32 school days in 2020.
We are also mindful that in addition to LRCs and the flexibility that’s inherent in NCEA, students will also benefit from the two-week delay to end of year examinations and most portfolio submission dates. This will provide additional time which can be used for further teaching, learning and assessment, so students can earn their full entitlement of LRCs.
In addition, the full NCEA settings available to schools that have had a total of 20 or more school days in COVID-19 lockdown will be available where there has been significant disruption at a school level from an event outside the school’s control, and students have been unable to attend on-site based on external health (or health and safety) advice or directives. This does not include the temporary unavailability of specific classrooms or learning environments if students can maintain learning otherwise at their school site.
Schools would need to meet the 20-school day threshold of disrupted learning due to the combination of COVID-19 and the further disruption. This recognises the compounding impact on students who have been affected by the COVID-19 lockdown, and this combination of factors counting toward NCEA settings will apply for 2021 only. An application process will be shared with schools by NZQA separately.
We have also had inquiries about specific lockdown scenarios, such as students unable to return to school across regional boundaries, or for other reasons. NZQA had a process for managing these situations in 2020; and will run a similar process this year. Further details will be provided separately. If you have students in extraordinary circumstances directly related to the COVID lockdowns, please contact your NZQA School Relationship Manager.