ncea results out how did everyone do

[DennisP]

Why have these people not applied to get a special needs reader/writer for exams? This is organised through the school.

This is true.

All you need to do is ask. And you will be provided with either a computer, or some body that reads/writes for you.

[Li@m]

All you need to do is ask. And you will be provided with either a computer, or some body that reads/writes for you.

Also beware that your school/ the government might ask for your child to go to an educational psychologist (Whom are very expensive) to get tested to see if your child needs a computer or reader/writer.

[DennisP]

They can ask if they want.

Although a lot of my friends and class mates have used computers/reader writers for all sorts of reasons.

From dyslexia to messy hand-writing to not being able to control their hand when they cross their arm from the right side of their body to the left.

About 20% of our school uses them each year.

[BikBok]

we will certainly look into computer/word processor help for this year although his particular dean is less than helpful and doesn't believe in "special need labeling" and therefore is skeptical of diagnosis etc.. despite us shoving reports from four different professionals in her face. She did concede and let him have an extension on time in English for his junior exams but in 2010 was very difficult to talk to about it because he was doing ok in the other subjects, she merely brushed it off and said he was choosing not to engage in English and needed to try harder. made me mad! *where's the brick wall smiley* Yes his interest in English has waned but it's because of discouragement- but despite that he did study and try hard for his end of years and externals.

We talked to our son about getting a writer and he thought it would complicate things having someone staring at him waiting for his instructions . it would impede his thought process (one of his difficulties is an uncommon anxiety disorder - basically his brain is permanently wired for fight or flight - diagnosed by a behavioral optometrist of all things!) but he is open to the idea of a word processor if it's allowable .. then all his energies can go into the thinking and not the writing which hampers his thinking.

when they cross their arm from the right side of their body to the left.

I am familiar with that.. it's called crossing the midline - or more accurately not being able to cross the midline. You can notice it in kids who put their books at awkward writing angles and lean their body all over the place. There are exercises that can help with that.

[DennisP]

As far as I know there is no need for any official documents or anything for extra time or reader/writers.

I'd look into it with NZQA. I'm sure the school is required to offer these if requested and the person has a legitimate reason etc etc.

Sounds like the dean is just being difficult.

[BikBok]

Sounds like the dean is just being difficult.

definitley - she has a difficult personality and is difficult to talk to. thank goodness my other child has a great dean .. wish they could swap! My daughter has the opposite problem and I have teachers asking me if she has been tested for giftedness. (which I haven't had done) I reckon whatever has given him the learning difficulties has presented itself as flipside for my quirky daughter who passes everything with flying colours and has an amazing talent in art and writing.

anyway -- didn't mean to hijack the thread.

CONGRATS TO ALL WHO HAVE DONE WELL IN NCEA - it's a launchpad to better things.

[nativelover]

when are the results being sent out in the mail?

[BikBok]

when are the results being sent out in the mail?

pretty sure it's Monday 17th

[nativelover]

Ok thanks for that.

[Rob]

First I've heard of this.

I know you need a few numeracy and literacy credits to get UE. But that's about it...

Depending on how a university is dealing with student enrolment caps they may covert to some sort of points so they can then implement some sort of ranking system. As a seperate consideration some degrees, or individual courses/papers may require additional minimum entry standards above and beyond UE.

...could have done better, but Cs get degrees!

As a uni lecturer I keep coming across this mentality and keep trying to discourage it. My standard comeback is: "A's get you interviews and interviews get you jobs".

[Fruju]

Depending on how a university is dealing with student enrolment caps they may covert to some sort of points so they can then implement some sort of ranking system. As a seperate consideration some degrees, or individual courses/papers may require additional minimum entry standards above and beyond UE.

As a uni lecturer I keep coming across this mentality and keep trying to discourage it. My standard comeback is: "A's get you interviews and interviews get you jobs".

Yeah^^ This is where I stand as a student, although many people have played down good grades as not necessary, I see them as key factors in other people's opinions.

[phoenix44]

In my area of investment banking and finance, you won't even get an interview if you have a masters with any thing less than an A- average across the final year undergrad and first year postgrad level.

With the new financial advisers laws being passed and the legislation coming in; jobs in investment banking will be even harder to get. I'm having to pay another 10k to requalify as a financial adviser despite having a degree in finance, international business and a postgrad in banking. :dunno:

The Reserve Bank for example will only take 1 -2 students nationally in their grad programme and they must have A averages at the very least. All the people I know that have made the cut had A+ averages.

The big 5 accounting firms won't even consider applications from people with lower grades.

[suphew]

the NCEA is just weird.. it has it's good points but i mainly see the flaws!

My son is not academically minded but he was formally assessed as having a high IQ but with an unusual set of learning difficulties.

He worked really hard (at least the 2nd half of Y11 he did) and came out with a decent amount of credits incl some Merits and Excellence. (graphics, technology, maths, science, Info man, health.) More than some of his friends in fact .. They passed BUT he didn't because he didn't get enough English credits. now don't laugh...English has been the one subject that always kicks him in the pants- always has been. Mainly because of having to write it all down! English does not come easy to all and it's really really different to when I was at school and we had School C eng to pass) I know without a doubt that he absolutely knew his materials and subject matter for all the ext eng standards, he gave me some pretty deep reflective answers when I questioned him.. I studied with him and he did Pass ALL his Mocks, some with merit. .. but that's because his teacher /HOD could understand his way of writing. (to do with his learning difficulty) but in the externals. the pressure was too much and the SLD got in the way and I doubt the examiner would have been able to read his writing/grammar/syntax. If it had been typewritten or done Orally he would have been fine!

So there we have a boy with above avg-high IQ who didn't pass NCEA because of the Eng .. and yet ESOl students can take an alternative course and pass... He got more credits than some of his friends, they passed he didn't -- it has really gutted him.

To make matters worse.. NCEA Eng requirements are changing ... 2011 is the transition year but his school is going for the new system with the new/revised standards and the course content is different. he will not be able to count the credits he did achieve in ENG and will have to start all over.. including the stupid wide reading log which has now been biffed out and exchanged for a new standard.

that's my moan for the day ..the ENG standards seem to have very little to do with being able to communicate in English and should not be compulsory IMO - especially if ESOl students don't' even have to do mainstream English - hardly seems fair.

This year he will probably have to repeat Y11 ENG, because he can't even fill in the gaps like you can in some subjects as the new standards don't match up with the old ones he did. (He only passed 2 internals, narrowly missing out on the others)

I'm really sorry to read this, unfortunately it's the fault of the school, not NCEA. It's very easy to have reader/writers to help with exams, NZQA don't penalize for this in fact they encourage it since it give's a fair better measure of what your son could do rather than if he can write tidy. Where the system failed him was the school not either telling him he had the option or arranging it for him.

But at least with NCEA all isn't lost, because it's credit based all your son has to do is make up the few credits he need, most school's offer catch up classes of the Christmas holidays to do this, or 1 or 2 correspondence courses. Under the old system he would have needed to redo the whole years study.

[BikBok]

I'm really sorry to read this, unfortunately it's the fault of the school, not NCEA. It's very easy to have reader/writers to help with exams, NZQA don't penalize for this in fact they encourage it since it give's a fair better measure of what your son could do rather than if he can write tidy. Where the system failed him was the school not either telling him he had the option or arranging it for him.

But at least with NCEA all isn't lost, because it's credit based all your son has to do is make up the few credits he need, most school's offer catch up classes of the Christmas holidays to do this, or 1 or 2 correspondence courses. Under the old system he would have needed to redo the whole years study.

I will be asking those sorts of questions and asking what options he has when I go with him to the Course confirmation day next week.

[Fruju]

In my area of investment banking and finance, you won't even get an interview if you have a masters with any thing less than an A- average across the final year undergrad and first year postgrad level.

With the new financial advisers laws being passed and the legislation coming in; jobs in investment banking will be even harder to get. I'm having to pay another 10k to requalify as a financial adviser despite having a degree in finance, international business and a postgrad in banking. :dunno:

The Reserve Bank for example will only take 1 -2 students nationally in their grad programme and they must have A averages at the very least. All the people I know that have made the cut had A+ averages.

The big 5 accounting firms won't even consider applications from people with lower grades.

Man that sucks. I get the feeling like you would be a terrible advisor lol, "yes you should spend the 5g on the reef tank" :lol:

......Except maybe for fish people.

[suphew]

In my area of investment banking and finance, you won't even get an interview if you have a masters with any thing less than an A- average across the final year undergrad and first year postgrad level.

With the new financial advisers laws being passed and the legislation coming in; jobs in investment banking will be even harder to get. I'm having to pay another 10k to requalify as a financial adviser despite having a degree in finance, international business and a postgrad in banking. :dunno:

The Reserve Bank for example will only take 1 -2 students nationally in their grad programme and they must have A averages at the very least. All the people I know that have made the cut had A+ averages.

The big 5 accounting firms won't even consider applications from people with lower grades.

Until things change I can see this just getting worse, when I worked in a office we used to have a qualified bio-chemist manning a phone taking bookings. For years there has been this push for university and a "knowledge economy" mean while less and less people are doing trades etc. Nurses and Teachers have been the latest to go from being tech courses to being degree courses. It's time NZ stopped training people to be accountants so they can work in a call center

[spoon]

i passed 5th form with good marks got awards for academic acheivement and the highest score in the school in science , lost interest in 6th form and left school i found having good marks in 5th form useful for doing tertiarty course none of which i ended up finishing but i find now employers wont even look at your high school acheivements its what you did after that and is relevant to the industry you are working in(that tractor unit would be handy now im a gardener but we didnt get that opportunity) so even if ncea is a nightmare work hard get to uni or tech as this is what will matter .

im currently doing an apprentiship in amenity horticulture , i have some level 4 electrical credits that have been cross-credited so im passing half of level four in horticulture with units such as " demonstrate knowledge of 3 phase ac theory" :facepalm:

[DennisP]

Has anybody else been awarded merit for last year's (2009) NCEA?

I along with a few other's have been given merit although none of us actually got it. Most were quite close, I was a good 15 credits off though.

Just wandering if it is a nationwide stuff up... Or If we just got lucky or if we're looking at something wrong.

[Fruju]

LOL, I just got an achieved in NCEA and some credits for doing a 1 day 1st aid course that I didnt even know was worth credits, just did it for a valuable life skills.

[BikBok]

Has anybody else been awarded merit for last year's (2009) NCEA?

I along with a few other's have been given merit although none of us actually got it. Most were quite close, I was a good 15 credits off though.

Just wandering if it is a nationwide stuff up... Or If we just got lucky or if we're looking at something wrong.

one of my friends daughters got some of her 2009 L1s upgraded to merit - she wasn't sure why.

[BikBok]

LOL, I just got an achieved in NCEA and some credits for doing a 1 day 1st aid course that I didn't even know was worth credits, just did it for a valuable life skills.

lol - me too. I got L1, L2, and L3 credits for two days first aid course.

[Adrienne]

LOL, I just got an achieved in NCEA and some credits for doing a 1 day 1st aid course that I didnt even know was worth credits, just did it for a valuable life skills.

You're doing better than my daughter - she did hers and the credits aren't showing!!

My daughter was originally awarded NCEA level two with an achieved and the following year it was updated to a merit because she sat a Level 2 paper in Y13 which bumped her grades up.

Just wondering if thats what happened to Dennisawesome.

[DennisP]

I haven't sat any level 1 papers this year.

I think it may be because I got enough level 2 merit credits this year and when combined with my level 1 credits is enough for level 1 to become a merit. Which is pretty ridiculous really. Means that you can not achieve level 1 and 2 and get excellence in lvl 3 which I guess would result in each lvl being upgraded to excellence endorsement.... I think.