Could the school environment be killing curiosity? © Adobe Stock, arrowsmith2
<h2><span data-contrast="auto">At the beginning of exam season, secondary schools experienced </span><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/501755/ppta-schools-have-a-backup-for-online-ncea-exam-issues" target="_blank"><span data-contrast="none">disruptions to a numeracy exam</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> typically sat by Year 10s after the system was overloaded. </span></h2>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Some were prevented from sitting the exam for almost 40 minutes. In response, NZQA said that extra capacity would be put on for NCEA exams and it was known how many students would be sitting these tests. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/latest-print-issue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Read the Term 4 edition of <em>School News</em> HERE</strong></a> </p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">However, just a week later, secondary students sitting Level One <a class="wpil_keyword_link" href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/2014/12/ncea-exams-completed-for-another-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="NCEA exams" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">NCEA exams</a> experienced disruptions due to similar overloading issues. Only those taking NCEA Level One English were affected. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<figure id="attachment_27891" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27891" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="size-medium wp-image-27891" src="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/AdobeStock_315102630-300x200.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-27891" class="wp-caption-text">Students who experienced online disruptions were forced to take paper exams instead. AdobeStock by arrowsmith2.</figcaption></figure>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">As students logged on, the system began slowing. The authority had expected over 20,000 students to sit these exams but struggled to cope with 18,000. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Jan Marshall, NZQA deputy <a class="wpil_keyword_link" href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/2015/10/new-chief-executive-for-education-council/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="chief executive" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">chief executive</a> said “extensive testing by our technology vendor gave NZQA confidence that this level of activity could be supported.</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“The system began to slow after more than 18,000 students had logged in, and a decision was made to stop further logins to guarantee the experience of these students.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Affected students were given paper copies of their exams, and derived grade applications for those experiencing disruptions and disadvantage are still being considered. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“NZQA apologies for the disruption caused for some students and will continue to work with its technology vendor as they scale up the capacity of the system,” Marshall said. She added that NZQA is aiming to improve their forecasting of additional capacity needs, and notes that these exams represented “the first time NZQA has experienced such large numbers of students attempting to log in to these assessments simultaneously”. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<figure id="attachment_28917" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28917" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="size-medium wp-image-28917" src="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/AdobeStock_3856129-300x201.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="201" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-28917" class="wp-caption-text">Thousands of students experienced disruptions. Photo: AdobeStock by Wong Hock Heng</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/502091/irritation-after-some-students-unable-to-sit-ncea-exams-online" target="_blank"><span data-contrast="none">Speaking to RNZ</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, teachers said they were unhappy with the disruptions. Association of Teachers of English vice-president Pip Tinning said the issues caused “anxiety” and “breakdowns”, which she described as “awful, absolutely awful and absolutely unacceptable.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Tinning noted that Level One was often the first set of big exams for students, “it’s a lot of pressure for a 15, 16-year-old kid to overcome.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">One parent noted that the issues with online exams impacted students with special conditions. Their son, who has ASD and <a class="wpil_keyword_link" href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/2011/10/dyspraxia-the-hidden-handicap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="dyspraxia" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">dyspraxia</a>, was unable to sit the exam online despite qualifying for special exam support. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“He can’t hold a pen for long as it becomes painful and his writing is very hard to read.</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<blockquote>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“They have completely let down this [sic] kids who are already disadvantaged enough in their lives.” </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">As exam season continues, <a class="wpil_keyword_link" href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/2014/12/new-zealand-teachers-selected-as-global-education-leaders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="education leaders" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">education leaders</a> are wary of repeat issues with the NZQA system. Otahuhu College principal Neil Watson told RNZ that their schools’ decision to opt out of online exams was due to issues such as this. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“The unfortunate disruption this year for both the literacy and numeracy, and also Level One English says there&#8217;s still a fair bit of work to do on the engineering side to make sure the software can cater for what should have been easily predictable demand.</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">&#8220;We&#8217;ve been reluctant to do it for that reason and also the equity issue around online assessment and that comes down to both the quality of devices being used, the access to WiFi you have at home – all these things impact on a student&#8217;s ability to access online learning.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<figure id="attachment_28918" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28918" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="size-medium wp-image-28918" src="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/AdobeStock_433454956-300x158.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="158" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-28918" class="wp-caption-text">Equity issues around online learning led some to decline participating in new online exams. Photo: AdobeStock by TommyStockProject</figcaption></figure>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Acting PPTA Te Wehengarua <a class="wpil_keyword_link" href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/2014/10/message-from-nz-principals-federation-president/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="president" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">president</a> Chris Abercrombie called the disruptions “unacceptable,” stating that “running exams is NZQA’s core business.</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">&#8220;These students have all been enrolled in these assessments for some months and it is incomprehensible that NZQA has not been aware of, and prepared for, the impact that many logins at the same time would have on the system.</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">&#8220;These concerns have been well signalled by us throughout the pilots. With student numbers due to increase exponentially next year with the new Level 1 standards, to say we are disappointed is very much an understatement.</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<blockquote>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Students deserve better – as do teachers who have done all they can to help students prepare for the exam, only for technical problems to arise.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
</blockquote>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Abercrombie continued that PPTA members had signaled to the union that workload has “tripled” due to managing extra demands such as technical issues with NCEA exams. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The PPTA sought an urgent meeting with NZQA as these disruptions unfolded. However, as of publication another large online exam for NCEA Level Two has happened without any more major disruption. </span><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{";201341983";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:259}"> </span></p>

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