New Zealand School Trustees Association
Memorandum: 2005/5
School: «School» («School_ID»)
Chair: «Chairperson_first» «Chairperson_surname» via email «Chair_Email»
Principal: «Principal_first» «Principal_surname» via email «Principal_email»
(please advise any changes to above addresses)
From: Colin Davies, NZSTA, Manager Service Delivery (cdavies@nzsta.org.nz)
Date: 21 February 2005
Subject: Scholarship Reference Group
Purpose: This memo is intended for secondary and composite boards in relation to the recent
announcement of a review of scholarships, it seeks urgent feedback from those boards via an
online survey on matters raised in the review.
Background: The Associate Minister of Education has convened a Scholarship Reference
Group to:
- Provide the Minister with advice and information to improve the preparation of students for
scholarship examinations in 2005 and beyond;
- Ensure that the concerns raised by government, the public, schools, parents and students are
heard and answered;
- Identify the key parameters that will be critical to the success and credibility of scholarship for
government, schools, learners and the wider community; and
- Make recommendations to the Minister on the approach to the 2005 Scholarship examinations
NZSTA is represented on that group by Ray Newport, General Manager NZSTA,
Purpose of the Scholarship Reference Group: The Scholarship Reference Group will provide
advice and recommendations to the Associate Minister of Education about the proposed
approach to the 2005 Scholarship examinations on:
- the purpose, nature, scope and intent of the New Zealand Scholarship;
- the design and operation of the New Zealand Scholarship in order to ensure an acceptable level
of variability of results between subjects;
- whether on the basis of the information provided by the Ministry of Education and NZQA they
have confidence that the scholarship exam can be designed and assessed in a way that will
provide the acceptable level and range of results and is consistent with the intent of scholarship;
- the nature of the information that should be made available to teachers, students and parents in
a timely and effective way so they can make informed decisions and have confidence in the
process and the qualifications; and
- any other matters they consider to be important to the credibility and success of scholarship
Survey: We have prepared an online survey of a series of questions which the Group is tasked
to consider, there are a number of representatives on the Group who will have considerable
knowledge of the professional matters that need to be considered. NZSTA will have a particular
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focus on the governance elements of the questions and we would like to hear from boards on
governance issues.
Click here to take you to the survey http://www.nzsta.org.nz/formBuilder/form.asp?id=340
The timeline for the Review is very tight and we would appreciate your input over the next few
days as part of this process. A report is to be made by the Group to the Minister by 15 March
2005 to inform the Ministers report to Cabinet by 31 March.
Colin Davies
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