Rectums and Genitals: Level 3 NCEA Statistics Paper hits a bum note with some

The teacher was informed of the questions by the principal’s nominee – a staff member nominated to deal directly with NZQA (the New Zealand Qualifications Authority) on all matters.

The teacher said she was shocked by the material, which was unnecessary and inappropriate.

The statistical newspaper used a headline from a British newspaper that read: “Butt of the Joke: Research shows people can easily find their butts, but the hunt for their ‘private parts’ is difficult!”

It was asked whether the headline was correct, in that a greater proportion of British men and women could confidently locate their rectum than their reproductive organs.

Response from Year 13 students surveyed by the Herald was mixed.

One said it was “vulgar” and that it was clear that “question writers are just trying to get a reaction or entertain themselves.”

The student said the question could have focused on the number of people who failed to locate their appendix or bladder – which was even lower than the 55% who knew where their rectum was.

Another student defended the question, saying it was about gathering information from a graph – regardless of the topic.

“They ask you to show that you understand the table or graph, to look at the information and the associated data – it’s not that deep.”

The other questions on the exam included the number of people who believed they could land a plane in an emergency with the help of air traffic control “without dying” and another about dangerous slips on the ice.

“Every question can be a trigger for some people,” the student said.

“That question would be difficult for a student who has been sexually abused, but the question about the plane crash can also be triggering, depending on your experiences.

“It’s still better than always talking about apples and oranges or something like that.”

Teacher feedback was also mixed.

One teacher said she had complained to NZQA about the question.

Another said he was more shocked that there was “humor in a math exam.”

“It’s like an accountant doing stand-up,” he said.

Other Commission exams came under fire for including questions outside the curriculum or for confusing wording.

Jann Marshall, deputy director of the NZQA, said the exam writers – including experienced subject teachers – felt it was appropriate to use this survey.

“All exam papers undergo a sensitivity check and it was decided that Level 3 candidates would have the maturity to understand the intent of the questions.”

NZQA says it has received no complaints.

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