Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Porirua College shouldn't give up on students

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Today, the 9th of September, is the start of a fortnight of NCEA pupils across the country sitting their exams for first time.

They'll be doing reading, writing and numeracy exams.

I would say this is happening everywhere across the country - except it isn’t, because Porirua College has decided to cancel their literacy exams because the kids won't pass.

They're not ready, the principal says Porirua College hasn't been able to get the kids ready enough to make it a 'positive experience' and so they've just canned the reading and writing exams.

Now, this is not the end of the world. These exams aren’t compulsory this year, they're only compulsory from 2026. This year, the kids can make up the credits through other ways if they want to pass NCEA.

But what I'm really disappointed by is the attitude of just giving up on kids.

These aren't difficult tests designed for third year university students or fully grown adults, they are designed for year 10/year 11 kids to make sure they actually know what they need to know at their year level.

So if the kids fail, it's because they don't know what they're supposed to know for their age. The answer to that particular problem is not to cancel the exam - the answer is to teach the kids what they're supposed to know.

Which begs the question - why is Porirua College not teaching the kids what they’re supposed to know for their age? Does that go some way to explaining why at Porirua College only 28 percent of school leavers got NCEA level 3 in 2022? Do we have a problem here?

Why isn’t the school freaking out that the kids don't know what kids at other schools know?

I've been told that, actually, most teachers and principals in secondary schools support these exams and the complaining and resistance that we’re hearing is coming from a very loud minority. I hope that truly is the case.

Because I'm shocked that these kids don't know what they’re supposed to know, but I'm more shocked that their educators don't seem to think that’s a problem.

Meanwhile, outside of Porirua, other kids up and down the country will sit these exams and will pass because they've been taught what they’re supposed to know - which is how it's supposed to be.

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