Qualifications, critiques, and reforms: The rhetoric surrounding the New Zealand qualifications authority

Abstract

Qualifications reform is a prominent issue for educationalists and the general public. This paper provides a commentary on the origins of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), key critiques of the Authority, and its responses to those critiques. These issues are linked to shifts in policy and practice. Of key concern is the recognised failure of the educational market to provide desired outcomes and subsequent changes at the Authority level.