A new report from the Education Review Office found tailored programmes that were targeted towards at-risk Auckland NCEA students learning in lockdown were successful.
These programmes included pop-up sites in community venues, community mentors, online learning, and summer school and were provided by Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu.
Ruth Shinoda, the Head of ERO’s Education Evaluation Centre, said this showed the programmes put in place last year were effective in supporting learning and reached students who were less engaged with their learning.
She told Breakfast the programmes helped students remain in education because it gave them more flexibility in how and when they did their learning.
For example, the report found that at the end of the TK400 programme, three quarters of students continued in education, one in ten enrolled in a tertiary provider and another 10 per cent found a job.
Three quarters of the students were Māori or Pacific. Before the programme 50 per cent who took part weren’t in education.
“Enrolling students quickly, targeting specific schools with high-needs students, and running face to face meetings with students and school leaders helped support students at risk of disengaging,” Shinoda said.
"We also found that having back up options can help students’ wellbeing when there are disruptions like lockdowns.” Summer school allowed students to earn up to 10 additional credits so they could gain NCEA accreditation or University Entrance.
Shinoda said summer school also reduced students’ anxiety, whether or not they eventually ended up needing it.
She said teachers were also going “above and beyond” for their students. By the end of the year, ERO found most students were back on track after the lockdown.
Approximately 23,000 students were enrolled across all of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu’s programmes in the past year.
NCEA delayed by two weeks as Covid-19 disrupts learning again
On Wednesday, the NZQA announced NCEA assessment dates for some students were being pushed back because of the disruption of the current Covid-19 lockdown.
The dates for end of year NCEA and NZ Scholarship exams will be moved back by two weeks, with exams to be held between Monday 22 November and Tuesday 14 December, the NZQA said.
Deadlines will also be pushed back by a fortnight for subjects where students submit portfolios, including visual arts.
Schools will not have to provide portfolios from students sitting NCEA Level 1 or Level 2 Visual Arts for NZQA to verify, meaning there will be more time for students to finish their work, and for teachers to mark it.
The NCEA Level 1 Mathematics Common Assessment Task (MCAT) will also be delayed for two weeks.
Howick College head girl Hannah Milo welcomed the delay because she felt “quite nervous” about the exams as the country moved to Alert Level 4.
Howick College’s Hannah Milo and McAuley High School’s Josephine Swanney say mental wellbeing is a big focus.
She’s planning to study law and a Bachelor of Arts at university next year.
Milo said it took a bit of time to adjust to learning online, but she was using her experiences from last year to help.
As head girl, she and the rest of the school’s student leadership team were reaching out to students through social media to share “positive messages and encouragement” because each student was facing their own challenges.
She said it was important for students to take care of their wellbeing as they continued their studies.
Milo also acknowledged Howick College’s teachers for their support.
McAuley High School prefect Josephine Swanney echoed the sentiment and acknowledged her school’s teachers.
She said online learning for many was about “balancing your life at home with online classes”. Swanney is planning to study law at university next year.
“Just know that we have been through this before, we can overcome it if we abide by the rules. Stay indoors and continue to work together. Keep a positive mindset.”
A student at McAuley High School tested positive for Covid-19 last week.
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