The Government has announced more than half of National Certificate of Educational Achievement exams can now be delivered digitally thanks to a boost in funding for its online programme.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced this morning up to two-thirds of the exams will be able to be done online thanks to a $38.7 million investment in NCEA online aimed at making digital learning “more accessible and popular”.
“The response to Covid-19 has seen schools turn to online teaching and learning, supported by the Government’s distance learning programme which has expanded access to digital devices and connections to households that need them,” Mr Hipkins said.
“The opportunity for students to gain NCEA qualifications through online assessments builds on this and is another step towards delivering a more modern and resilient education system.
“We’ve seen an increase in uptake of online exams over the past two years as teachers and students become more comfortable with the option. A recent student experience evaluation of NCEA online showed that 97% of those surveyed found the digital exam was a positive experience.”
For this year’s NCEA students, Mr Hipkins said the New Zealand Qualifications Authority is on track to offer 58 NCEA digital exams across 21 subjects, at NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 – an increase from the 35 examinations successfully offered in 2019.
Mr Hopkins added almost 200 schools participated in NCEA online last year, with more than one in 10 students at those schools sitting one or more exams digitally.
Over the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years, NZQA will spend approximately $14.5 million each year on enhancing and delivering NCEA online.
An additional $4.8 million annually will allow NCEA online to continue operating in the future.
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