Despite rhetoric from some education quarters, NCEA is becoming cemented as our primary form of senior school assessment, according to Chris England, principal of St Peter’s College in Palmerston North.
The NCEA results of St Peter’s College have gradually improved over the past three years and the school is proud of the quality of education that the Catholic community receives.
As canon law 806 states ‘… that formation is given in them (the students) is, in its academic standards, at least as outstanding as that in other schools in the area’ and this is the case in Palmerston North.
Chris England believes that in the context of education, which includes the relevant levels of the qualifications, NCEA is better for boys because they must develop good work habits, and organisational skills to meet the demands of the course work as well as the requirements at the end of the year.
In other words they must still generally pass their November examinations while developing skills throughout the year which will prepare them better for tertiary study and for life.