During the NCEA level 2 English exams, students were faced with a challenging task involving a boy with long hair who was being bullied and asked to prove his gender by pulling down his pants.
The exam, which took place on Thursday, included an “unfamiliar text” for students to analyze and make a literary assessment of.
The exam booklet instructed students to “analyze significant aspects of unfamiliar written text(s) through close reading, supported by evidence”.
According to students who took the exam, the text in question was a poem detailing the personal experience of a boy with long hair who was bullied and pressured to reveal his genitals to confirm his gender identity, as he was often mistaken for a girl.
“And I didn’t much like it when a few months after I started school a large year 3 boy ambushed me on my way home and ordered me to drop my pants to clear up his confusion,” the text excerpt read.
Both a student and a teacher interviewed by RNZ expressed feeling very uncomfortable with the content of the text.
One year 12 student mentioned opting for a different question to avoid the discomfort it caused.
A concerned parent highlighted the potential distress the question could cause to students who have a history of sexual abuse, criticizing the lack of sensitivity in presenting such a triggering topic during a stressful exam.
They emphasized the importance of considering the emotional well-being of students and suggested that NCEA should have handled the situation more thoughtfully.
Another individual raised concerns about the impact the text might have on teenagers struggling with gender identity issues.
The text was revealed to be an excerpt from Adam Dudding’s memoir, My Father’s Island: A Memoir, which focuses on his father and their relationship.
NZQA, the organization responsible for administering the exams, has been contacted for a response.
