Latest news with #ERO
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
NCEA as we know it should be abolished – Tim O'Connor
What's the problem? The reported strength of NCEA, that is, its flexibility, has found schools 'game' the system, thereby helping students to accumulate credits to earn the qualification. Depth of learning or the retention of knowledge has too readily become secondary to quality teaching and the learning process. As NCEA was being introduced in 2002, our school's critique of the new framework said it would: Undermine the coherence of individual subjects and the importance of integrating understanding Increase teacher workloads due to the volume of internal assessment. Remove a consistent national standard and benchmark Complicate reporting to students and parents Create uncertainty in university entrance qualifications Over 20 years later, the Education Review Office (ERO) and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) have been reporting on the state of NCEA. They highlight major concerns that include 'No core learning is required to achieve subjects within the qualification' and 'The flexibility of the qualification is being used to prioritise credit accumulation over meaningful learning and clear educational or vocational pathways'. Such concerns need to be listened to. What we need and need now is the Minister of Education to take the boldest of steps. NCEA, as we know it, should be abolished. Education Minister Erica Stanford is preparing to make announcements about NCEA. Photo / Alyse Wright What we need is a simplified, rigorous but fair national qualification. Get the design right and we will have a new system that we can be proud of. The core foundational knowledge our children need to learn and the science of learning point the direction we need to take quite clearly. Our national curriculum and qualification system need to reflect this. Introducing a new national qualification will provide every student across the country, no matter where they live, with an equal opportunity to learn content-rich subjects that will provide them with equal opportunities to realise their potential in the world. What's the fix? The first step is the introduction of an internationally benchmarked curriculum. This step is under way with the draft English and mathematics curricula in place for consultation. Our national qualification should then assess our national curriculum in each approved subject area. This will make good sense to parents; however, since the introduction of NCEA, it has not been common sense, as the content has been driven by assessment criteria. This must change. Ideally, the assessment system will include a number of critical elements in order for the qualification to gain credibility and to be respected by professionals nationally and internationally and parents of future generations of students. The content being assessed must be aligned with the national curriculum. This needs to be provided to schools years in advance, so schools and teachers have time to prepare and so that students are not disadvantaged by the changes. Auckland Grammar headmaster Tim O'Connor. Photo / Jason Oxenham The primary mode of assessment should be examinations, as they are an objective and independent form of assessment. Such a system will allow students from across all regions in our country to have faith that they have earned a nationally benchmarked qualification. These new qualifications should include some internal assessment, because not all types of content are best assessed under exam conditions. But all assessments must be conducted under controlled conditions and they should all be marked by the NZQA. Under this new system, teachers would not mark students' work in their schools. Internal assessment marks would not be made available to students until they receive their external results, thereby removing the damaging practice of 'credit counting', which has become such a problem in the current system. This will also encourage student attendance and continued learning throughout the entire academic year. Results should be reported as percentages, which everyone understands, and which enable comparisons, so that anyone can draw meaningful inferences about student performance. Norm-referencing the assessment system would ensure marks and results across years could be broadly compared, so that results are more meaningful to parents, employers and universities. Our national qualifications should be restricted to the final two years of students' secondary schooling – Years 12 (the old Form 6) and Year 13 (Form 7). The qualification, University Entrance, should be in students' final year, and the quality of these assessments should be endorsed by our universities. As a result of NCEA's flexibility, hundreds of students arrive at our universities annually, only to find they have not met entry qualifications and have to complete foundation programmes. The recently introduced NCEA corequisites are causing more problems than they are solving at present. They will not be required if new mathematics and English assessments are robust: they will show how literate and numerate students are, and students' entire qualifications won't depend on three assessments. Introducing a rigorous national qualification that parents, students and teachers can understand and be proud of will provide generations of students with equal opportunities to realise their potential in the world.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
94.68% of Bihar voters covered in electoral roll revision drive, says Election Commission
The Election Commission of India said on Friday (July 18, 2025) that 94.68% of voters in Bihar have been covered under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. Out of 78,969,844 electors, forms have been received from 90.12% of voters; 4.67% have not been found at their addresses; 1.61 % are probably deceased; 0.75% are enrolled at multiple places; 2.3% have probably permanently shifted; and 0.01 % are not traceable, the poll body said in a statement. Opinion | The parameters of 'success' in Bihar's poll roll revision With just 7 days left for the collection of forms, the ECI has begun sharing the list of forms that could not be collected with political parties. The last date for submission of Enumeration Forms in the SIR is July 25, and draft rolls will be published on August 1, 2025. Lists of electors who are probably deceased, permanently shifted, have enrolled at multiple places, or have not returned the EFs even after multiple visits by booth level officers (BLOs) are now also being shared with district presidents of political parties or the 1.5 lakh booth level agents (BLAs) appointed by them to ascertain the exact status of each such elector before July 25, the ECI said in a statement. As per the SIR order, each of the more than 1.5 lakh BLAs can submit up to 50 forms a day after certifying them. This step is in line with the ECI's commitment that no eligible elector is left out, it said. One month for rectification A one-month period is available to political parties or electors for rectification of the Draft Electoral Roll after its publication on August 1. Electoral registration Officers (EROs) will publish the draft Electoral Rolls on August 1 and invite suggestions for correction of any entry in the draft Electoral Roll. After disposing of claims and objections until September 25, 2025, the Final Electoral Roll will be published on September 30, 2025. Printed and digital copies of the Final ER will again be given free of cost to all recognised political parties and will be published on the ECI website. Any elector aggrieved by any decision of the ERO may appeal to the District Magistrate and the Chief Electoral Officer thereafter under Section 24 of the RP Act, 1950.
RTÉ News
11-07-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Increase in minimum pay rates for security workers
The Government is to approve an order to increase minimum pay rates in the security industry. The Employment Regulation Order (ERO) will provide for an increase in the minimum rate of pay for an adult worker in the sector from €14.50 to €15.41 per hour. The Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail, Alan Dillon, said he intends to sign the new ERO which will amend an existing 2024 order and will commence on 22 July. "A well-functioning security sector ensures public safety and is essential for the operation of a wide range of other industries and public services including in retail, entertainment and banking," Mr Dillon said. "I recognise that this is a sector which has seen significant growth and professionalisation over recent years and I welcome that this ERO will provide greater certainty and stability for both workers and employers in this sector," he added. Mr Dillon said that the ERO is an example of how effective the Joint Labour Committee system can be when negotiations are entered into in good faith by both sides. "I would like to thank the members of the Joint Labour Committee for Security and the Labour Court for their work in delivering this positive outcome," he said.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Electoral Registration Officers hold the key to inclusion in Bihar voter roll in the absence of requisite documents for SIR
As controversy rages over the few documents considered valid for voter registration during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, a key figure that has emerged is that of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). The discretionary powers being given to these officials of the State government could taint the SIR process, warn Opposition leaders. For a voter who does not have the required documents, it is the ERO who is empowered to take a call on their inclusion or exclusion in the voters list, according to the latest Election Commission manual on electoral rolls, issued in March 2023, as well as senior officials who spoke to The Hindu. The ERO's verdict is to be based on field verification, reports from Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and the testimonials of village heads and families. 'In case of non-availability of documents, an oath or affirmation from one of the parents, or 'Sarpanch' and even a visible examination by the Booth Level Officer (BLO) can work as proof of age. The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) can do local enquiries to establish proof of residence in the absence of documentary evidence,' the manual says. Thus, in a situation where a voter does not have any of the 11 documents listed for the SIR process, the ERO can take a call based on such inputs. Administrative officers EROs are appointed under Section 13B of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. It is usually civil service or revenue officers, such as Sub-Divisional Officers or others of equivalent status who are appointed as EROs for Assembly constituencies which fall within their respective jurisdictions as far as practicable. In Bihar, the EROs are Bihar Administrative Service officers and hold a rank of Senior Deputy Collector and above. Several Bihar EROs told The Hindu that for now, they are just collecting and uploading enumeration forms with attached documents; it is only after the draft roll is uploaded on August 1 that they plan to tackle cases where no documentation is available. Most of the documents being attached to forms now being submitted are school leaving certificates, they said. Alternative documents The EROs accepted that they will face challenges in the cases of voters who do not have any of the 11 documents listed by the Election Commission in its SIR order. Nitesh Kumar, the ERO of the Chapra Assembly seat said that the BLOs have directed many people to apply for domicile or permanent residency certificates, which are issued by tehsildars or local revenue officials, to submit as proof of residence along with their enumeration forms in case no other document is available. However, he agreed that domicile certificates do not provide proof of the applicant's age or place of birth, as required by the SIR. In such cases, 'we depend on the Panchayat heads and the BLOs who have to certify the age and place of birth of the person,' Mr. Kumar said. Discretionary powers Anish Kumar, ERO of the Phulparas constituency, said that a certificate given by parents or the village mukhiya (headman) would be accepted, if other proofs of place of residence and date of birth are not available. In case these were also not available, an ERO can do a physical verification and decide whether the person is of voting age, that is, above 18 years, he said. One ERO who did not wish to be named said that though physical verification cannot be used to determine an applicant's exact age, one could find out whether the person was 'mature enough'. State influence Opposition parties — who have approached the Supreme Court and held a Bihar bandh on Wednesday in protest against the SIR — warned that an ERO, who is a State government functionary, could be influenced by the ruling party in the State. 'You are actually allowing due process of law to be decided by the inclination of an ERO. It is also possible that the ERO, who is a State government official is influenced by the ruling party. Also, if the ERO is empowered to include a person if he or she is satisfied, then he can also exclude a person if dissatisfied,' RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj K. Jha told The Hindu. According to an ECI statement on Wednesday (July 9, 2025), a total of 4,53,89,881 enumeration Forms have been collected in the last 15 days, accounting for 57.48% of the 7.9 crore existing electors in Bihar.
Otago Daily Times
09-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Gloriavale school fails second audit
By Jean Edwards of RNZ Gloriavale Christian School's registration could be suspended or cancelled if it does not rectify issues identified in another failed audit, the Ministry of Education says. It has expressed serious concern about an Education Review Office (ERO) report that found the private school has not met three of eight registration criteria and is not a physically and emotionally safe space for students. It is the second time the Christian community's school on the West Coast has failed an audit in as many years. Andrea Williams, the ministry's acting hautū (leader) Te Tai Runga (South), said staff would meet with school leaders next week to discuss the ERO report and the ministry's response to its findings. "The ministry is seriously concerned by the ERO's conclusion that the school continues to fall short of providing a physically and emotionally safe environment for students and has failed its compliance audit for the second consecutive year," she said. "The ministry is currently working on its response to the report which will be communicated to the school next week. We will expect the school to take immediate and meaningful steps to address the issues identified. "If the school does not demonstrate sustained and measurable improvement within the timeframe we require, the ministry will consider all available options under the Act, including suspension or cancellation of registration." Under the Education and Training Act, the ministry could cancel the registration of a private school if it no longer met the criteria, including providing suitable premises, staffing, curriculum or ensuring student safety and well-being. The step was considered only after other avenues had been exhausted and where there was clear and ongoing non-compliance, the ministry said. The ERO report, published on July 2, found Gloriavale Christian School staff were following the New Zealand curriculum and education provision was "slowly improving". A damning 2023 ERO review found the school did not meet six of the eight criteria for private school registration and the provision of education was "inadequate and uncertain". "At that time, court cases citing incidences of physical and sexual abuse of children within the Gloriavale community and findings about young people's employment status and the suitability of some school staffing were significant events impacting schooling," the latest report said. Following a review visit at the end of last year, the ERO said there was a lack of suitable staffing for enrolled students with complex additional needs and they could not attend because of insufficient equipment to support their physical needs. The ERO report also noted the Teaching Council was investigating an allegation of staff misconduct and the school had been instructed to formally monitor the staff member. The report said about 40% of the 224 school-aged children at the Gloriavale community attended the school, while about half were home-schooled and the remainder were enrolled with Te Kura (formerly the Correspondence School). "The school board and staff have worked extensively with board-contracted external support and Ministry of Education advice and guidance to develop capacity to provide high quality learning and teaching," the report said. Suitable policy and procedures were in place, including a child protection policy, but aspects required improvement, it said. "ERO is not yet assured that all learners physical and emotional health and safety is closely, regularly, and sufficiently considered and monitored across all schooling provision." In 2023, the ERO recommended that community leaders urgently develop a long-term strategic plan for educational provision across the community and consider external leadership or support. In its July report the ERO said a plan for all children up to the age of 16 was not yet in place, although the school board and staff had worked extensively with external consultants and the Ministry of Education.
