Ditch unit standards - survey

Thousands of pupils and parents support ditching unit standards in schools, new research shows.

The results of a Victoria University study on motivation and achievement in secondary schools was released yesterday.

The research was carried out over four years tracking more than 6000 pupils, assessing their motivation in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA).

A report on the research said there was strong support from pupils and parents for a single system of achievement standards in schools, rather than continuing with unit standards.

"Students in particular commented on the inability to earn merit and excellence for most unit standards and expressed concern over consistency and credit parity issues," the report said.

Other findings in the report:

Nearly half of year 10 and 11 pupils reported not knowing that certificates could be endorsed with merit or excellence.

Pupils who had a job and worked up to 10 hours a week generally got more total credits than those who did not work.

Pupils "overwhelmingly" said they needed more information from their schools and teachers on the NCEA.

"Many pupils" said it was their teacher who had the single biggest impact on their learning.

NZQA deputy chief executive Bali Haque said the research showed teachers were "totally critical" to the success of the NCEA.

"The work we do setting standards and providing certificate endorsements is all nothing if, in the end, the teacher-student relationship isn't working correctly."

- The Press