Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) 2023 senior students have achieved excellent NCEA results, principal Nicola Jacobsen says.

NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) are national qualifications for secondary school students in years 11-13 and Nicola said the results reflect the school’s commitment to academic excellence.

“We offer our students a range of academic pathways, including enrichment opportunities and learning support, which prepare them for their future tertiary and vocational pathways and help them achieve their personal best.”

Eighty-eight percent of MAC students passed NCEA level one in 2023 (male 87 percent, female 89 percent), well above the national average pass rate of 58 percent male and 62 percent female.

The MAC pass rate for level one in 2021 was 89 percent and in 2022 it was 88 percent.

At NCEA level two, 90 percent of MAC students passed in 2023 (male and female both 90 percent), while at the national level 70 percent of males and 74 percent of females passed.

In 2021 the MAC pass rate for level two was 90 percent and in 2022 it was 86 percent.

In the third and final level, NCEA level three, MAC had an 89 percent pass rate in 2023 (male 84 percent, female 92 percent), while nationally the male pass rate was 63 percent and female was 68.

The MAC pass rate was 88 percent in 2021 and 89 percent in 2022.

Nicola said the 2023 results showed a continuing trend of strong results at MAC in recent years.

“The gender-based data we receive to help us identify where gender inequity might be impacting student achievement shows that all our students are performing well, bucking the trend seen elsewhere in New Zealand where there is much greater disparity in performance between boys and girls,” she added.

Previously MAC’s results have compared to schools in a similar decile range (8-10) but Nicola told the Wānaka App NZQA has moved away from the decile system so that data is no longer available.

“There is no direct comparison made between the new equity index (which puts schools in categories such as fewer, few, more etc socio-economic barriers) and the old decile system,” she said.

“We are given, by NZQA, the data for schools with 'fewer socio-economic barriers' as a comparison.”

In the schools with ‘fewer socio-economic barriers’ category, MAC’s results were well above the national averages of 68 percent for males and 70 percent for females at level one; 80 percent for males and 88 percent for females at level two; and 75 percent for males and 85 percent for females in level three.

“I am so proud of our students for their effort and resilience in pursuing their studies, and grateful to our staff whose skill and passion provides our students with such exceptional support,” Nicola said.

PHOTO: Mount Aspiring College