Open AccessThe NCEA in the Context of the Knowledge Society and National Policy Expectations
Author(s) -
Rosemary Hipkins
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
new zealand annual review of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1178-3311
pISSN - 1171-3283
DOI - 10.26686/nzaroe.v0i14.1486
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , accountability , raising (metalworking) , political science , public relations , pedagogy , psychology , sociology , law , engineering , history , mechanical engineering , archaeology
The introduction of the National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA), as the key school-based components of New Zealand’s National Qualifications Framework (NQF) has been accompanied by controversy around a range of issues. It seems that much of the debate has centred on surface level symptoms, and has not probed the deep underlying causes of the tensions. In this article I locate the assessment changes of the NQF/NCEA within the “knowledge society” imperative for “life-long learning” and explore consequences of the expectation that assessment can serve this overarching goal at the same time as the results are used for accountability purposes – that, is for “raising standards”. The tensions created by these conflicting expectations must be confronted openly before they can be resolved.