Annual NCEA fee of $76.70 scrapped for ‘stronger’ education system

The families of secondary students will no longer have to pay fees for NCEA and NZ Scholarship.

More than 145,000 households are estimated to benefit from the removal of the $76.70 NCEA fee that families pay every year.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins said as part of the Wellbeing Budget they were abolishing fees to make things a bit easier for families.

“It is another step by the Coalition Government to put the free back into free education.”

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The Government is also funding the continued roll out of the NCEA Online programme so students can opt to sit their exams using a PC or laptop.

“This reflects the way students already interact with the world and how they are doing much of their learning, and it helps to prepare them for their next steps after school,” Hipkins said.

The removal of fees was one of a number of improvements to the NCEA announced today.

It follows a year-long review which 16,000 New Zealanders took part in.

“These improvements are a major step towards making the respected and valued NCEA more relevant for students.”

The changes addressed issues which had build up over time, Hipkins said.

“Over-assessment has been swamping students and teachers and getting in the way of actual learning, and the current reality is that some students can finish school with gaps in their knowledge and skills.

“Some young people don’t cover all the learning that is important and there has not been a strong enough focus on literacy and numeracy.”

The changes would make NCEA more credible and robust, he said.

“Considering that only around a third of Year 13 school leavers go into degree-level study, it is vital we do more to prepare all students for successful transitions into vocational training, work, or further studies.”

Teachers would get more time to teach, he said.

“[It’s] a shift away from fragmented, small assessments towards larger, more unified blocks of learning and assessment.”

Improving support for students to undertake NCEA through Māori-medium education was “long overdue”, he said.

“The default choice that many whanau face is to revert to English-medium schooling at secondary level.

“The Government has already announced more investment to recruit and train teachers fluent in Te reo Māori.”

National Party education spokeswoman Nikki Kaye said there was still a lot of detail to be worked out, but they generally supported the move to scrap the fees.

“The scrapping of fees will reduce barriers to NCEA and will see more young people have their qualifications recognised.”

There were too many standards, creating large workloads for teachers and students, she said.

“We believe it is important to ensure that changes trade a little bit of NCEA’s vast flexibility for fewer, bigger standards that equip young people with the essential knowledge and concepts from each subject area.”

The strengthening of numeracy and literacy would make a huge difference in the lives of young people, she said.

“We know that nationally, expectations can and should be higher, and that schools and students will rise to the challenge.”

National has previously raised concerns about the risk of NCEA Level 1 being scrapped. “We are pleased it will remain an option for schools.”

The Ministry of Education will work with stakeholders to confirm the detailed design and implementation plan by the end of the year, with implementation expected over four years starting in 2020.

Costs will be finalised by the end of the year.

It was not churches and hotels that were killed, Ms May. It was not Easter worshippers that were slain, Obama and Clinton. It was tourists and Christians. These are not hard words and they are not too difficult to pronounce. They have been in the English lexicon for a few years now so most people understand their meaning.

So it is refreshing to see a Muslim condemning the gutless media over their aversion to using the C word. Perhaps we should ask Marama to reclaim it for us? Quote.

The mainstream media’s aversion to mentioning Christians when reporting on the Sri Lanka Easter Sunday massacre that killed 321 is “unacceptable” and “very troubling,” a Muslim scholar told Fox News.

Dr. Qanta Ahmed, the author of “In the Land of the Invisible Women,” told “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning it’s an “afterthought” for the media that provides “a very troubling lack of context.”

During Monday’s nightly network news coverage of the Sri Lanka Islamic terror attack, there was hardly any mention of “Christian,” “Christians,” or “Christianity.” ABC World News Tonight didn’t mention them a single time, and CBS Evening News and NBC Night News mentioned the term once. That was it.

“It was marked during the holiest day of the Holy Week, Easter, and some of the attacks went off during the thanksgiving service themselves,” Ahmed said. “There is a general reluctance to examine Christian persecution globally. In Asia, one in three Christians is subject to extreme persecution. More Christians are persecuted in more countries than any other group in the world. 144 countries now persecute Christians. A decade ago, it was 107, and now Asia is the site of tremendous Christian persecution.”

The Muslim scholar points out that extreme Muslims see Judeo-Christianity as a conspiracy against Islam, which she calls a “falsehood” because the Virgin Mary and Jesus are a part of Islam, too.

“We believe in Jesus and his message. We have to accept the gospel,” Ahmed said. “That is anathema to radical Islamists, and not talking about the persecution of Christians in this attack or in Asia, in general, is unacceptable.”

A Washington Post headline read, “Christianity under attack? Sri Lanka church bombings stoke far-right anger in the West.”

Ahmed responded: “I’m sure that’s what Islamists would like to do, but every decent person of whatever faith, is abhorring this attack. We saw the kind of innocent people who were lost in worship but understand the magnitude. This attack was six times greater than Christchurch, where my co-religionists – Muslims – were killed. Fifty nine [sic] Muslims were killed in New Zealand. This is 310 people passed away, possibly more coming, yet the magnitude of that assault is not reflected in the global media and saying so does not stoke any anger, that is an admission of honesty.” […] E

Racial slurs from a man who “wouldn’t let his kids go out with a Māori” are just one example of the suffering women of colour in Christchurch experience, a new poster series shows.

Against Racism Ōtautahi (ARO) took to city streets with hundreds of posters depicting hands over a large red heart to encourage inclusion after a gunman killed 50 people at two mosques on March 15. To keep the ball rolling, it launched a new series sharing local stories of heartache and inequality in the city.

Stories from the victims – identified in the campaign using pseudonyms to protect their privacy – included being yelled at and abused by “skinheads”, being shooed out of stores and accused of theft, and having their lunch crumpled.

Lincoln-based woman Aroha, 38, highlighted comments from a man doing a building inspection on a property she was considering buying

“He kinda started hitting on me and asked me where I was from. When I told him I was from New Zealand and was part Māori, he was disappointed, saying he thought I was Tahitian and that he wouldn’t let any if his kids go out with a Māori.”

Her story was illustrated with a graphic from American-based artist Marian DeSouza-McAllister, who is originally from New Zealand. She sketched the works from her studio in Brooklyn to be displayed around Christchurch to create more awareness of the rampant casual racism in the city, she said.

Others shared similar tales in the 10-part series.

“Once, my brothers and I were playing at Sydenham park, some guys with shaved heads started coming over towards us and saying some racist stuff. They kicked our stuff around and stood all over the sandwiches my mum had made for us. I’d never seen my brothers scared like that. We didn’t play there after that,” 22-year-old Alofa said.

Another woman, Xin, 30, said she was told her name was “not acceptable” when she started a new job.

“My co-worker asked my name so I responded. He seems very confused by it. He reiterated his questions, like I hadn’t heard him. This time he added loudly ‘No, what is your Christian name?’ I’m not religious but why was I not acceptable with my name?”

An ARO spokeswoman said the posters were created to critique the “this is not us” message that emerged after the March terror attack and “challenge people’s ideas of racism in their own backyard”. That message rebuffed racism and hate, which “denied the everyday experiences of people of colour”, she said.

“The hope was to encourage local residents to see themselves in the scenarios … we felt that if white people are able to form a personal connection with the experience of racist violence they will be more likely to respond empathetically.

“Unfortunately there was no shortage of material to work with.”

DeSouza-McAllister said she wanted to show how strong, fashionable and relevant the victims were. So far, the response from women of colour who found it relatable had been “amazing”, she said.

Two Australians including a 10-year-old girl have been killed in the Sri Lanka bomb blasts and another two have been injured.

Australia’s prime minister Scott Morrison has confirmed the deaths, as the number of people believed to be killed in the attacks has risen to at least 290.

“Right now, Sri Lanka is grieving, Australia is grieving,” Morrison told reporters in Melbourne.

“Two Australians have lost their lives in this terrible massacre and my heart is full of grief for them and their families.”

READ MORE:
* Sri Lanka identifies group suspected in Easter bombings
* Sri Lanka attacks: Bombs kill at least 290, injure hundreds at hotels and churches on Easter Sunday
* Sri Lanka attacks: Day of carnage an ‘attempt to create murder, mayhem and anarchy’

There have not been any reports of any New Zealanders being killed so far.

While Morrison did not go into details about the Australians killed, SBSreported on Monday the dead were an Australian mother and her 10-year-old daughter who were attending a church service in Negombo.

SBS said the mother, Manik Suriaaratchi, and her daughter Alexendria had returned to Sri Lanka several years ago to look after a family member, according to a friend of the family.

Morrison confirmed another two Australians – both of whom were dual citizens – have been injured but are in a stable condition. One has been treated for shrapnel wounds and the other a broken leg, with both receiving consular support.

Morrison said it was too early to say whether more Australians could be among those who have been hurt.

“As the days pass, and the injured are treated, and some of them succumb to their wounds as well, we are seeing this massacre going from what was bad, very bad, to much, much worse,” he said.

Labor leader Bill Shorten described the attacks as devastating. “At a time like this, politics is not as important. At a time like this, we are all Australians,” he told reporters in Townsville.

“Easter Sunday’s senseless and barbaric murder of hundreds of citizens, including two Australians and 500 injured, is something we should all mourn and we do.”

More than 500 people have been injured in the bomb blasts that ripped through three churches, three luxury hotels and a guesthouse on Easter Sunday.

The US said “several” Americans were among the dead, while Britain, India, China, Japan and Portugal said they, too, lost citizens.

The Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka has been working to determine the whereabouts of Australians and monitor the situation. Australia’s travel advice for Sri Lanka has been upgraded to “reconsider your need to travel” in the aftermath of the attack.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said New Zealanders in Sri Lanka should be vigilant in public areas and follow any advice issued by local authorities.

New Zealanders in Sri Lanka in need of consular assistance should contact the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi, on  +91 11 468 83170.

Sub note from Host:

Then maybe forever christian death, there should be 10 Muslim deaths.

When I read the leader of the Mana party’s racist rant about “White boys” it reminded me of a hilarious line from a comedy.

There are only two things that I can’t stand in this world. People who are intolerant of other people’s cultures… and the Dutch.

Hone Harawira, who famously once said he wouldn’t want his daughter to date a Pakeha, and who has called people “White motherfuckers”, apparently cannot tolerate racism. It really upsets him that some reporters dared to report that a couple of gang leaders publicly declared that they will not be handing back their illegal firearms.

[…] How many guns are there in NZ? Answer: An estimated 1.5 million.
Who’s got most of them – the WHITE BOYS (white farmers, white gun shop owners, white gun club members, white gun importers and white nationalists) – or the BLACK BOYS (Māori & Pacific gangs)? Answer: The white boys have about a million; the black boys have about 20,000. end quote.

I wasn’t aware that there were any statistics on gun ownership based on the colour of a person’s skin. In fact, the biggest problem police have is that they have no idea which firearms each registered firearm owner actually has in their possession unless they had a special category licence such as E cat.

If the police don’t know those details then how on earth would they know how many firearms are held by gang members? Where did anti-racism Hone get hold of his figures?

[…] What did the media and the politicians say about the BLACK BOYS before the CHC massacre? There was daily mention of terrorism in the media, and it was always about jihadis and blacks. end quote.

Is he serious? When our media report on terrorism daily it is because it is happening daily. They certainly do not mention “Blacks”, as our media are politically correct and avoid mentioning skin colour and race at all unless the terrorist is white.

The media mention Jihadis, as most terrorism worldwide is carried out by them. A person of any race can become a Jihadi: it is not like the Ku Klux Klan where only one skin colour is allowed. quote.

[…] In a country bristling with white racists, white power gangs, white police structures, white justice frameworks, white penal systems, white nationalists and white supremacists, a white guy kills 50 Muslims … and blacks get hammered for refusing to hand in their guns.
Taika was right – NZ is a fuckin’ racist society

The Daily Blog

Hone really is a special kind of stupid. No one has hammered “Blacks” for not handing in their firearms. Criminal gangs have been criticised for refusing to hand them in.CRIMINALS. Criminals are not a race but perhaps in anti-racism Hone’s eyes “Blacks” and gangs are the same thing.

Who is the real racist here?

While vigilante groups are monitoring Whaleoil posts for anything that they could possibly use to deplatform us, mainstream media like 1News are allowing speech that they would call “hate speech” if it was on our platform to be published on their facebook pages.

On 1News facebook page last night was an article about the burning of Notre Dame in Paris. It is headed “Notre Dame’s age, soaring open spaces…” In the comments, there were repeated posts from a man living in Baghdad (!) whose hate speech included such gems as “I’m happy and all muslims are happy for that”, and “our true enemy is Christ” and “we must be happy when our enemies are harmed”.
Wrote to 1News to ask them if they were happy with that vileness. No reply of course and the hate speech is still there.
If 1News is happy to leave that there, then we have an acid test of what is acceptable and what is not.

Terence Hodgson

Most of us breathed a sigh of relief when Susan Devoy declined to renew her contract as the head of the Human Rights Commission. She had done a terrible job, and to cap it all off, the Commission was under scrutiny for having an awful culture itself, even though it is supposed to be the main body upholding ALL human rights. Clearly, Ms Devoy must take some responsibility for that, and it is hard not to believe that this was a major factor in her decision not to seek reappointment.

She may be gone, but sadly she is not silenced. Far from it. In the aftermath of the Christchurch massacre, she wrote for The Spinoff, agreeing with similar fools such as Anne Salmond, that we are all racists and have blood on our hands. quote.

Like many others, she forgets a few inconvenient facts. Brenton Tarrant was not a New Zealander. He chose New Zealand partly because it is a peaceful, tolerant sort of place and also because security tends to be very lax here. How exactly ordinary New Zealanders going about their daily business ‘helped make it happen’, is a mystery.

Devoy was apparently upset that people accused her of waging a ‘war on Christmas’, which she clearly did. As Human Rights Commissioner, she seemed to completely forget that the largest ethnic group in New Zealand has rights too. Especially the right to be able to celebrate their festivities as they see fit, just as minority communities do. After all, we celebrate Chinese New Year and Diwali here quite happily, but the then Human Rights Commissioner wanted to discourage people from celebrating Christmas because it was offensive to racial minorities. No wonder she faced a backlash, but as her emotional rant at The Spinoff shows, she still harbours a grudge about it.

According to her, this is another reason why Brenton Tarrant went on his murderous rampage. This woman is clearly deranged. quote.

But while she was not speaking for the state, Devoy’s comments were quite something from somebody who had occupied such an important position.

And this is why civil libertarians ought to be concerned at calls for more censorship in the wake of the Christchurch murders. Because while those in favour of more state control of opinions protest that they are only talking about extremist views, the polarised political times have produced a tendency to soften the definition of extremism.

And this gets to the problem with censorship. Those in favour of more Government regulation of opinions invariably point out that they wish to restrict the most odious forms of speech which, in theory, should be reassuring.
Yet we live in an era when all the loudest people spend quite a bit of time accusing each other of being Nazis all day.

Stuff. end quote.

People like Susan Devoy really need to be ignored. She never accepted that people had the right to express their opinions on her stance about Christmas. Ordinary New Zealanders are less likely to adopt an inclusive stance if they see their way of life being threatened, and the former Human Rights Commissioner should understand that encouraging inclusiveness, rather than lecturing people about how bad they are, is the path to racial harmony. Yes, she may have seen cases of racism in her role, but she was blind to the racism that she herself was guilty of.

Most of us encounter people of other races on a daily basis, and we don’t care at all. I like to think I judge people by who they are, not by how they look. There are good and bad people in all races and, if anything, the Christchurch massacre opened up the world of Muslim New Zealanders to us in a way not seen before. I was impressed by what I saw. And yet, I have lost count of the number of times I have effectively been called a white supremacist. People like Susan Devoy beat a path of righteousness, unaware of the enormous damage they are doing. It is time for this nonsense to stop.