Focus on junior achievement needed

An ERO report on junior classes in high schools makes sobering reading for New Zealand's future success, says BusinessNZ.



The report released today shows only seven percent of schools are effectively assessing and improving student achievement in maths and literacy in years 9 and 10.



BusinessNZ Chief Executive Phil O'Reilly says how well students perform in junior classes determines what subjects they can take and their chances of success in later schooling.



"If there are not effective systems in place to gather information on how well junior students are learning and to set targets for improvement when needed, then they are more at risk of failing NCEA and leaving school without useful qualifications.



"By the time young people reach year 11 - NCEA level 1 - it may be too late to do the remedial work that should have been done in the junior years.



"Employers see the outcome of this, with 30 percent of young people leaving school without NCEA level 2, and with many young people ill-equipped to compete in the workplace.



"This terrible waste of human potential needs to be addressed.



"It is positive that ERO is giving examples of good practice to guide schools for improving their practice. The gathering and use of information on student achievement needs to become the norm, not the exception.



"Business would like to see the Ministry of Education, Boards of Trustees, principals and teachers focus hard on this issue as a priority."