Pupils' marks factor in funding decisions

Academic results of pupils recruited to the Otago University Advanced School Sciences Academy will be scrutinised as part of a funding analysis to consider whether the two-year-pilot scheme will attract future finance, a university pro-vice-chancellor says.

The 2012 intake of 55 science academy pupils, selected predominantly from rural secondary schools around New Zealand, was hosted by the University of Otago last week.

The academy was launched in September 2010, when $600,000 was originally allocated from the Ministry of Education to back the University of Otago-led project, although funding was subsequently dropped to $395,000 when intake numbers were revised from 100 down to 50 pupils.

Funding considerations to secure the ongoing future of the science academy at the university are still to be determined, University of Otago academic and international pro-vice-chancellor Prof Vernon Squire said in response to an Otago Daily Times inquiry.

"It is premature to comment on future funding at this stage, as any case for further funding would require ... analysis," he said.

That analysis was likely to take place soon and would be based on two "foundations" - the academic achievement of participants at NCEA Level 3, and their subsequent destinations in terms of study, such as whether they proceeded to university or to other tertiary education, Prof Squire said.

Academy students from the first intake last year "have only within the last couple of weeks had their NCEA results confirmed" and, in some cases, pupils would still be finalising their 2012 study choices.

"We are also flat-out running the residential component for the second cohort, [so the] analysis has not yet been undertaken," Prof Squire said.

The analysis of the academy and any case for future support that might be developed would be made in the coming months, he said.

The week-long camp for the 2012 intake of students finished on Saturday, although pupils will remain in contact throughout the year and return for a second meeting in June.

Pupils involved with a geography component of the academy visited Dunedin beaches last week to observe and compare the "physical systems" of coastal erosion, supervisor and university PhD candidate Jill Hetherington said.

Dunedin beaches were well suited for seeing how human interaction has modified coastal landforms.

The St Clair seawall and "sand sausages" further along St Kilda amply demonstrated how humans tried to change and adapt coastal systems despite the erosive power of nature, she said.

A visit to Victory Beach on Otago Peninsula provided a sharp contrast in geographic coastal systems for the science academy recruits.

The unmodified and natural beach was an example of dunes formed and changed naturally over time, she said.

matthew.haggart@odt.co.nz