"NCEA Nu 2 U 2002"

The public information campaign continues for NCEA with the release of two new brochures for schools and students.

"NCEA More Details" and "NCEA nu 2 u 2002" are available in English and Māori and provide comprehensive information about how the new secondary school qualification works.

Both brochures contain similar information, but one has been specifically designed for parents and general interested members of the public while the other has a younger look designed in a CD-sized format to appeal to teenagers.

The brochures cover issues such as how work will be assessed, how students will know what they need to do to achieve a standard, how the standards will be benchmarked for quality and how results will be received.

They will be available through schools, at community events and also on the NZQA website - www.nzqa.govt.nz.

The information campaign for NCEA has been very successful so far, says communications manager for NZQA, Bill Lennox. He says a lot of time and thought has gone in to ensuring that the information reaches the right audiences.

"We are still giving presentations on NCEA and talking to schools and their communities and we are finding a real enthusiasm for the new qualification. Our surveys show that the marketing mix we have used is working and that students and their parents have a good understanding of NCEA."

A survey taken last year showed that awareness of NCEA among students and their families had increased significantly. The next survey is due to be undertaken this month.

Later this year NZQA will also begin a comprehensive information campaign targeting employers so that they know how to read NCEA results and what to look for.

"Understandably, students and their parents are concerned that employers be well briefed about NCEA so that young prospective employees get the best out of their new qualifications," says Bill Lennox.

"The timing of this campaign is important. We plan for employers to get the information at an optimum time so that when the first NCEA graduates enter the job market employers have a good understanding of the qualification and resources at their fingertips that will assist them," he says.

"We envisage a two-stage approach for employers. They need to be aware of NCEA now, but students won't be leaving school with NCEA results until mid-2003. By that stage employers will need clear guidelines on how to interpret the results, which are far more detailed and more useful than School Certificate results," Bill Lennox says.

"We'll be helping employers and tertiary institutions to get to grips with the change."