Around 150,000 students who missed out on NCEA credits due to unpaid fees will be awarded them after the fact.
The students, both current and former, missed out on credits due to the NCEA $76.70 fee going unpaid. The missed credits came from all three levels of the qualification.
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Fees were abolished in the latest budget and backdated to write-off any historical fees dating back to the beginning of NCEA in 2002.
This means some former students who missed out on their initial qualifications due to unpaid fees will now be able to have them added to their formal Record of Achievement.
"These students have worked hard to earn these credits or qualifications, and it’s not right that they don’t get to use it because their families struggle to pay the fees," Hipkins said.
“After we made the announcement in May to abolish NCEA fees, I’ve had feedback from a number of parents who are relieved that their child won’t be held back because they were unable to make the payments."
The change will affect 149,618 people, of whom 60,500 will be awarded at least one qualification. Some students are receiving multiple levels of NCEA.
The other students will receive credits, but not enough to trigger the awarding of a qualification.
Newshub.
