Donnelly Brian: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Donnelly Brian: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:631;Page:3031] 
3.  
Hon BRIAN DONNELLY (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Were the grade variations for School Certificate in its last 5 years both between subjects and within subjects over consecutive years similar to the grade variations observed thus far within NCEA? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Education) 
: 
 The answer is yes. Grade variations between subjects were similar between the last 5 years of School Certificate and the results we have seen under the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). For example between 2004 and 2005 the median difference in success rates for biology economics English geography mathematics and science for level 1 NCEA was 3 percentage points. In 1999-2000 for the same subjects in School Certificate the variability of results was also 3 percentage points. Information on grade variation within School Certificate subjects is not available. School Certificate was a simple pass/fail exam system and any variation within subjects was therefore hidden. With NCEA we are able to ascertain which particular standards show variability and work on ensuring that they fall within acceptable levels. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Can the Minister confirm that the failure rate for School Certificate horticulture was 63.4 percent in 1997 and 43.1 percent in 1999—over 20 percentage points of difference—and can the Minister confirm which party was leading the Government during this period? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Yes I can confirm that those figures are as the member outlined and I can confirm that the National Party was the Government at that time. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister tell the House why he thinks it is acceptable that the variability in up to 30 percent of the standards sat in 2005 was outside the New Zealand Qualifications Authority’s own benchmark of fairness to students? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The member just does not get it does he? We are talking about the variability on essentially one question within a subject. When all of those standards are put together the pass rate is acceptable and the standards are acceptable across that subject. One day the member will get it. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Can the Minister confirm that in 1998 58.9 percent of students failed School Certificate horticulture whereas only 6.3 percent failed Latin and might this indicate that there were large variances between subjects under the old system and can he also confirm that these variances occurred under a National Government? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Yes I can confirm that these gross variations were the case and I can confirm that the National Party was the Government at the time. I can further confirm that that is one of the reasons the National Party championed the change to NCEA. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Is it true that the only certain way to ensure there is no variance in grades across year groups is by using norm-referenced statistical scaling and which Government abandoned norm-referenced assessment in favour of standards-based assessment? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Yes that is the case and this is why we are continuing to build the robust foundations of NCEA. I can confirm that standards-based assessment was introduced by the National Government and that at the time of its introduction my predecessor who was then Opposition spokesperson on education endorsed that change and Wyatt Creech who was the education Minister welcomed that endorsement and said: “Isn’t it good we have some bipartisanship on something that we ought to share a view on.” 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: I seek leave of the House to table a paper that shows the fail rates—that is D and E grades—for School Certificate subjects from 1997 to 2001. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.