Haere ra, School Certificate

Tu Tangata, Issue 26, 1 October 1985, Page 50

Haere ra, School Certificate

The 1984 Hui on Maori Education at Turangawaewae passed this resolution:

“That we ask the Department of Education to dismantle the hierarchy of the subject pass-rate structure in the School Certificate examination which we see as discriminatory against Maori students and that the Department in consultation with the PPTA and the Maori community formulate a fairer means of evaluation; and that Maori parents withdraw their children from the present system if this is not done.”

This paper aims to inform Maori parents that in fact the hierarchy of School Certificate examinations continued into the 1984 School Certificate examinations. And that there is no sign of its being abandoned by the Department of Education. Full statistics for the 1984 exams were not available at the time of writing this (May). But enough informa-

The lowest 1984 pass rates were: new subject no figures available

tion is available for parents to decide how far the Department has honoured or failed to honour the 1984 resolution’s requests.

The most striking change in a subject's pass-rate was for Maori. Whereas in 1983 Maori candidates had a pass rate of only 37.3%, in 1984 the pass-rate was lifted to a 52.5% level, close to that of English.

The Department has narrowed the range of pass-rates. But it has not eliminated the hierarchy of pass-rates. And Maori parents may note that very few Maori candidates enter for the subjects that are still awarded the top pass rates, and that Maori candidates comprise generally small proportions of students attempting those subjects. But more Maoris and in higher proportions of candidates try for those subjects which are awarded the lowest pass rates. Some parents might also be disturbed to note that so many of the subjects given the lowest pass rates are subjects deemed useful in life and are related to the endeavours of many kokiri and STEPs or PEP programmes. A “practical” course at high school might even be considered as a short cut to the dole or projects for the unemployed.

Finally, parents should remember that School Certificate pass-rates are the results of deliberate decisions made by the bureaucrats who control those examinations. The pass rates reflect their assumptions about ability and intelligence and what is important for living. The pass rates do not directly reflect the capabilities of the candidates. In short, candidates get low marks in some subjects not necessarily because they are mentally or linguistically limited, but because a small group of officials have decided what is important and how students ought to reveal their learning or their abilities.

Parents may well decide that the time has indeed come to work upon systems of evaluation very different from School Certificate.

Total Maori Total NZ 1984 candidates candidates pass 1983 1983 rate 0 34 89.7% Russian 6 542 88 Latin 35 1501 87.4 Chemistry 15 520 84.8 French 69 1817 82.6 Physics 97 4141 82.4 French audio lingual 6 542 82.1 lingual Latin studies 7 249 80.7 Japanese 26 1208 80.5 German a-1 0 6 80 Spanish

39.1 Humanities A 41 813 41.9 General Agriculture 21 112 42.8 Humanities B 540 4530 43.4 Woodwork 787 5508 44.5 Home economics 271 2587 45.1 Clothing 112 1241 45.8 Horticulture 497 5254 46.3 Engineering 486 2189 46.5 Human bio 10 219 46.8 Animal husbandry