John MacDonald: There's more to life than qualifications

We are obsessed with qualifications.

If you want evidence, take all the noise we’re hearing today about the news that the number of students leaving school with NCEA Level 2 or above dropped again last year to the lowest level in a decade.

People are jumping up and down because the OECD reckons that if someone’s going to be employable, they need at least Level 2 NCEA.

Which fuels even further this obsession with getting good qualifications. Which, I’ll admit, I’ve been guilty of too. Especially when the kids were going through school and NCEA was the be-all and end-all.

In fact, before they reached those years even. Going through the school reports, going to the meet-the teacher nights, or the “three-way learning conferences” or whatever they call them.

And it will still be the case. Parents agonising. Wanting the best for their kids.

And then, when they do get to years 11, 12 and 13 - the old Forms Five, Six and Seven - the agonising and pressure goes next level.

And then they get to Year 13 and you realise that, actually, Year 12 is the year that really matters and things can go into cruise mode in the last year of high school.

That’s because things like university scholarship applications are all based on results from Year 12. The Level 2 results. And, in Year, the kids can actually focus on making the most of their last year at school.

Not necessarily in terms of studying. But getting amongst it all - all the extra-curricular stuff.

Which isn’t that much different from my day when Form Six was when you got University Entrance (UE) and Seventh Form seemed like a bit of an add-on. Even then.

In fact, I left school just a few months into Seventh Form because I got a job as a cadet reporter at the local newspaper. Which is exactly what I wanted to do.

These days, though, I’d have to go and study somewhere and get some sort of qualification before getting to write the fruit and produce reports at the ODT in Dunedin. The shipping news was my other big responsibility back in those days.

I didn’t need a qualification back then. But I would now. Which is nuts. And it’s because we have been sold this idea that qualifications are everything. That exam results or assignment results are everything. And they are the only way you can assess whether someone’s a deadbeat or not.

And I think that is so wrong. And, for me, a great attitude is way more important than great qualifications.

When I say a great attitude, I’m not just talking about someone being a nice person or not. I’m talking about someone who wants to get amongst things, learn new things, try new things, take risks.

Someone who isn’t toxic. Because, let’s admit it, you can get some pretty highly-qualified people who just create havoc wherever they go. There are also very highly-qualified people who do a hell of a lot of study - possibly over quite a period of time - but who don’t go very far. Even with those qualifications.

And even if someone does leave school with just NCEA Level 1, it doesn’t mean a lifetime sentence of deadbeat jobs or worse.

Because, even without NCEA, you can get to the age of 20 and apply for special admission to a university.

And that’s why you won't get me jumping up and down about these latest NCEA statistics. Because, as far as I’m concerned, I don't think qualifications are the be-all and end-all.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.