Mackey Moana: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Mackey Moana: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:629;Page:1138] 
3.  
MOANA MACKEY (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What reports has he received concerning the 2005 NCEA exams? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Education) 
: 
 I have seen and heard many reports that show that the 2005 exams have gone very well indeed. The results for all 335 externally assessed standards were monitored daily throughout the marking of the nearly 2 million papers. More than 144000 secondary school students have now received their National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) results. All of those students can have confidence that the results accurately reflect their performance in their exams. 
Moana Mackey 
: What criticism has he seen of the 2005 NCEA exams? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I have not seen much criticism of the NCEA but I have heard criticism from one particular source. That source of course is Bill English. Despite the evidence public opinion and support from the sector he has continued to try to lead the anti-NCEA parade. Believe me it is a very small parade these days. I think people’s opinions were summed up by the Christchurch principal Denis Pyatt of Papanui High School who stated in the  
Press 
 on 18 January: “I am finding Bill English’s constant attempts to undermine the NCEA tiresome in the extreme. He needs to get over it.” 
Hon Bill English 
: Does the Minister intend to investigate allegations made in these emails among others that markers were told to go back over the Not Achieveds and see whether they could push them up to Achieveds and other allegations that led one marker to say: “Professionally I am appalled at the standard of work I am forced to give an Achieved grade to.”; and if he is not going to investigate them can he tell us why he will not investigate allegations from markers that turned up spontaneously because of their professional concerns? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I understand that Karen Sewell has investigated every complaint that has been made. In fact during a press conference she went through every single one of them with the journalists. She was hampered a little however by the fact that the two emails Mr English has been touting about have no names and despite repeated requests for those two people to ring Karen Sewell with no repercussions—she would just fix the problem—they have refused to do exactly that. 
Moana Mackey 
: What endorsements has he seen of the 2005 NCEA exams? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I have a large number of them but let me give just four. Debbie Te Whaiti from the Post Primary Teachers Association said that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority should be congratulated. Keegan Bartlett a student from Wellington said: “In my opinion NCEA is a successful flexible and quality system of assessment.” Bali Haque the principal of Pakuranga College said: “Fundamentally it is a superior system and philosophically it’s in the right place.” and in the light of Mr English’s comments the president of the New Zealand Principals Federation Pat Newman said that Bill English needed to “step back and think about what he is doing.” It is time to step back Bill. 
Hon Bill English 
: Does the Minister not understand that he is going down the same track as the previous two education Ministers who lost their jobs every time he defends the NCEA in principle but refuses to get to grips with individual issues; and does he not understand that teachers need to be told how and why scaling was reintroduced this year and that if he cannot explain it that will further undermine public confidence in the NCEA and himself? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I do not share losing a job with them as the member who raises that question does. What I can say is that Karen Sewell has openly and transparently dealt with every problem small or big that has been raised and I have encouraged her to do that every step of the way. This is not scaling and if the member wants a seminar on that I am sure the New Zealand Qualifications Authority will provide him with one. 
Hon Bill English 
: Would the Minister be happy for me to invite as many teachers as want to come along to the seminar on scaling in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement because many of them would be interested to know just how it has been applied; and can he confirm that he has now refused to investigate allegations that scaling was applied in an informal way to many exams not on his re-marking list? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I would be delighted to meet with the teachers that the member may like to get together. I imagine it will take him a fair while to get them and they may not want their names known etc. But let him give it a whirl and I will come along and meet with them. I say once again that Karen Sewell has openly and transparently dealt with every single issue. In a press conference she literally went through the issues one by one with the journalists who were there. That is what she has done and if the member is not satisfied then that frankly is too bad. 
Hon Bill English 
: Why have scholarship results been delayed until 23 February when it is well known they were marked by the middle of December and when a week or so ago they were accidentally put up on the website; and why are they delayed until all those who are interested in the results have already enrolled in their tertiary education courses? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Cabinet agreed in May last year that scholarship results would come out later this year in order to provide for the checking of all results. Cabinet agreed it was more important to get the results accurate to make sure that we are now able to move forward on a firm platform and I have just explained why. 
Hon Bill English 
: Does this mean that Cabinet will look at scholarship results in order to ensure they are not controversial before students get the results; and can he confirm that students will get the results for scholarship in 2005 after they have enrolled in their tertiary education courses for 2006—and is that not just ridiculous? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: No we will not be looking at the results as the member suggests. Cabinet agreed that they would be a little later this year. That has been known since May of last year so everybody knows exactly that. This morning I met with the reference group overseeing scholarship comprising three people whom I think even Mr English would regard as authorities in the area. They told me this morning that scholarship has gone outstandingly well this year. The member should argue with them.