Fears over raised university entry

Fears rise that students will not be able to study at tertiary level as the NZQA will make it more difficult to gain university entrance.
From 2014, students will need to gain NCEA Level 3, achieve at a higher numeracy level, and meet stronger literacy requirements to enter university.
Bali Haque, NZQA’s deputy chief executive (qualifications), told The NZ Herald the changes were not designed to restrict student entry to university, but to ensure the standard was set at an appropriate level for entry in 2015.
While “raising the bar”, he said the changes would have a “motivational effect and lift achievement”.
Yet spokesman for the NZ Union of Students’ Associations, Max Hardy, said the requirements resulted in an “erosion of access to tertiary education”.
“We are very concerned that students, as a result of this change, who could have done very well at university are being shut out,” he told The NZ Herald.
He said about 985 of this year’s first-year university students would not have been accepted under the new requirements because they did not meet NCEA Level 3.
“That’s eight per cent of students who actually have quite a good chance of completing their qualification and some of them will be doing very well.”
Mr Hardy said many students did not do too well at secondary school, but went on to excel at tertiary level.
“The sad thing is those students are normally from low-decile schools, who really just need a level playing field, and we are concerned those people won’t be given a fair go,” he said.