Zero out of 18 for NCEA - dismal failure
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Posted Tue 27 May 2008 @ 8:17 a.m. by Ernie Newman
Every one of eighteen generic and ICT-related NCEA Technology Achievement Standards independently assessed by a panel of senior tertiary level academics under the auspices of the NZ Computer Society, has failed.
Not one of the 18 met the criteria of appropriateness to prepare students for tertiary computer science study, nor for the assessment of end user computing.
Not even one.
What's more, the failure has been acknowledged by the Ministry of Education. "The knowledge and skills associated with Computer Science in particular (are) not being met by the current Unit or Achievement Standards," the Ministry acknowledged.
All this at a time when the shortage of skills is widely recognised as a huge constraint on the usage of ICT by users, let alone the industry.
TUANZ claims some moral authority in this space. Late last year we ran a ”Skills Seminar” specifically on the issue and attracted 75 senior concerned user leaders. And for 12 years we sweated blood to run an annual Education Conference - a travelling road show that brought international luminaries to the cities and provinces of New Zealand. It visited up to a dozen locations a year to inform and inspire primary and secondary teachers about the opportunities of ICT in classroom teaching. Tens of thousands of teachers went through the programme.
This year the Ministry withdrew financial support and endorsement for "strategic" reasons, although we understand a reduction in funding for its ICT unit was also a factor. One wonders where the new strategy has focused. Not, it appears, on any updating of the crucial NCEA standards to meet 21st century needs.
As I write this, thousands of students are opting for law or arts while critical ICT jobs remain unfilled. Tertiary institutions are making computer science tutors redundant because of falling student numbers.
Coincidentally the Board of TUANZ has sought a meeting with the MoE to discuss the concern that in respect of the skills crisis, the government buck seems to stop nowhere. I observed during the panel debate at our Telecommunications Day this month that although there are small pockets of useful activity such as "Accelerating Auckland" there seems to be no single, coordinated, national plan to quantify, analyse and deal with this skills shortage. There is a need for government agencies to take a decisive lead in pulling together a nationwide remedial strategy that embraces ICT in the school curriculum, career guidance, tertiary courses and immigration policies.
Is it too much to expect government agencies to be looking ten years ahead in these fast moving times, instread of twenty years behind?
Good on the NZCS for raising the profile of this issue. TUANZ will give our utmost support to this valuable initiative.
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