School Cert. papers to be returned

Press, 15 August 1984, Page 1

School Cert. papers to be returned

PA Wellington The Education Department has reversed its decision not to allow School Certificate candidates to have their examination papers back. The department is following a recommendation by the Ombudsman.

The Assistant DirectorGeneral of Education, Mr John Yuill, said the department would return 458 marked School Certificate scripts to 134 of last year’s candidates who had requested them under the Official Information Act.

The scripts would be sent within two weeks, accompanied by a statement explaining the scaling procedures used to convert the raw marks recorded on the papers to the actual mark awarded in the examination.

The department’s aboutface was made after it sought a legal opinion on a ruling by the Ombudsman that the papers should be returned. Mr Yuill said that the department initially declined requests for the return of papers on the basis of advice that these were protected by the Official

Information Act. Some people then went to the Ombudsman. After an extensive investigation, he advised the department to release the papers.

Mr Yuill said the department studied the Ombudsman’s report and sought more advice on it before deciding to accept the recommendation. He said that any further candidates who wished to obtain their papers should lodge applications before September 14. The remaining scripts would be destroyed at the end of September.

School Certificate scripts were usually destroyed in June but the process had been delayed while it was decided whether they should be returned to those who requested them. The department has informed the Minister of Education, Mr Marshall, of the decision. A spokesman said that Mr Marshall had discussed it with the PostPrimary Teachers’ Association and the Secondary School Boards’ Association. Mr Marshall felt the decision was within the spirit of the Official Information Act, the spokesman said.