NZ Education OBE or Cambridge Syllabus?

[kiwizebra]

Hi, we are in South Africa and planning our move to NZ end of 2009. Our boys (twins 14) are studying the Cambridge international syllabus. What syllabus is followed in NZ. I see they have a national curriculum but please don't tell me it is OBE (Outcome based education) because here OBE is substandard.

[James 1077]

I know that some schools offer Cambridge but I'm not sure on whether they are just private schools.

The national curriculum is called NCEA - wiki link here

Oh, and having a look at the site there are some state schools that offer Cambridge - but they are some of the top ones so it may be expensive to buy in their catchment areas!

[Alan]

Some schools such as Westlake Boys in Auckland stream pupils and the top half ability would be pushed towards the Cambridge syllabus.

[kiwizebra]

Hi thanks very much for the information. The NCEA looks very similar to the OBE in SA, the only difference is that New Zealand looks like it has at least tried to improve the system. We started our kids on the Cambridge syllabus to try and maintain a good standard but it is expensive. Not sure whether we will be able to do that in New Zealand especially as we will have two in high school an our youngest son just starting school next year. That was one of the reasons why we choose New Zealand for the standard of education. Does any one have any comments on whether the NCEA is any good? As a matter of interest does Aus follow a similar system? Any comments welcome. Thanks again.

[Billy]

Does any one have any comments on whether the NCEA is any good? As a matter of interest does Aus follow a similar system? Any comments welcome. Thanks again.

Many people will not believe this, but the NZ NCEA system is very highly regarded in progressive educational countries around the world. It is certainly not perfect, and is about to go through some well-needed changes, but it was an innovative system when introduced and hence had many 'teething' problems.

A lot of people complain about the continuous assessment element of some of it being too easy, as opposed to the end of year exam. But for many kids, the fact that they have to be on the ball most of the time, rather than just studying very hard during term 4 is hugely beneficial, not just in terms of their academic achievement, but also in the sometimes forgotten fact that they are actually learning and understanding.

[James 1077]

But for many kids, the fact that they have to be on the ball most of the time, rather than just studying very hard during term 4 is hugely beneficial, not just in terms of their academic achievement, but also in the sometimes forgotten fact that they are actually learning and understanding.

I would do so badly at that! I need the push of exams / a deadline to get things done - otherwise I'm too lazy!

[Tesall]

Before you get swamped by the usual suapects with thier very questionable anecdotal evidence I suggest you read this briallint post by a genius poster from a othewr thread.. shockingly it contains facts... sorry about that

These threads comparing education systems aways confuse me.

The only way we can judge education systems with even a slim amount of accuracy is to compare exam results in exams that all the students take from various countries and NZ students consistantly outperform UK students in those measures.

Lerts look at the expert PISA review, I will just highlight the executive summary.



source - http://www.oecd.org/document/2/0,334..._1_1_1,00.html

So if I you compare the NZ with the USA or UK, NZ is far better in the only measurable way.

And because I clearly have nothing better to do on a Sat night... I trawled through those spredsheets and some interesting facts.

--NZ has the best percentage of very advanced science students. 4.0, just pipping Finland, so if your kid wants to be a scientist... NZ is the place!

--Finland gets its revenge in Maths and just pips NZ into second place for advanced students understanding advanced concepts.

--The UK and USA have VERY dissapointing results in both categories.

I noticed someone mentioning that NZ is behind Europe.... err well maybe Finland in some areas (and not in others), but the stats say that NZ is far FAR ahead of Europe.

[dharder]

Before you get swamped by the usual suapects with thier very questionable anecdotal evidence I suggest you read this briallint post by a genius poster from a othewr thread.. shockingly it contains facts... sorry about that

The PISA study is a good study in what it provides. It gives you a number of indications of what is broadly happening in some countries. It can tell you trends within countries compared to their results before, it can give you an overall idea of where to place the general average population in a country by country comparison. It tells you something like ‘oh, country x is doing very well for its children in general, and country y is not doing enough’. It is not a guide of ‘where to move to get a good education for my children’. It isnt’ meant to be, so that is not a shortfall at all.

And the reason why this can’t be a moving guide is that no one in any country ever actually IS the average whose result is shown.

You may say that ‘on average’ a or b may be the case, but that says nothing about anyone’s individual circumstances. And since I am not an average, but an individual, I will look at rather more specific cases.

Different school systems provide different things to varying degrees to its individual students. Early streaming in Germany, for example, may be good for the individual student who is in a high stream, it can work against the student in the lower stream. No streaming and comprehensive education may be better for the middle ground or not so academic student, but not for the very bright ones.

If you compare those two systems, you may come up with the comprehensive one slightly ahead of the streaming one on average. You may still have the better education in the higher stream in the streaming system. So it entirely depends on your individual circumstances.

Saying that ‘your individual education will be better in NZ than in the UK/US wherever’ is simply not correct and not supported by the PISA study at all.

Daniela

[Tesall]

The bottom line is that the PISA is the best available information on which to compare educational performance, some people might not like that as it goes against thier own agendas, but that is tough luck. I have read lots of people run down the NZ education system based on flimsy anecdotal evidence. Those types might not like the fact that the best available research contradicts the broad claims they make on narrow experience.

I am more than happy for people to make thier own mind up, if they want to use the information contained in a comprehensive study in which the parameters are clearly defined and explained, great, if they prefer to take the anecdotal evidence of people already bitter about their new home and negative about everything in that country, fine. Their choice, I am just pleased to bring some facts to the debate.

I should also add that anecdotal evidence form people viewing NZ through rose tinted specs carry the same burden of being simply anecdotal . But in this case the PISA report backs them.

[dharder]

The bottom line is that the PISA is the best available information on which to compare educational performance,

I was pointing out that while agreeing that PISA is a good study for what it does, it will tell you absolutely nothing about any individual’s education in any of the countries that participated in. You can be illiterate in Finland and a genius in Bulgaria and PISA will still be a good study because it never claimed to tell you how individuals will perform.

Daniela