High school students are earning qualifications in casino gambling, gunsmithing and how to use a chainsaw.

Soon teenagers might also be able to get credits toward their National Certificate of Educational Achievement with pass marks in rugby refereeing.
Auckland Grammar headmaster John Morris, also chairman of lobby group Education Forum, said the qualifications gained last year illustrated the "ludicrous" proliferation of subjects available in secondary schools.
"What do all these qualifications mean? I just think we're shortchanging our kids by offering that sort of thing. A lot of them can do better than that. I don't see school as preparing kids for a job. Schools are there to educate. Reading, writing and maths, what's happening is that those subjects are being demeaned by how to operate a chainsaw.
"It's play-way education . . . I honestly just cringe and worry about our education system where everybody passes and everybody does well."
Qualifications Authority statistics show one student last year passed a qualification in the rules and procedures for craps, a game where casino patrons gamble on dice throws.
Authority spokesman Bill Lennox said the student did the course at a private training establishment, where casino gambling was probably one aspect of a tourism programme.
Travel and visitor services, which includes knowledge of New Zealand tourism destinations, were popular with secondary students with pass rates of about 30 and 46 per cent respectively.
More than 100 students passed qualifications in knowledge of the code of practice relating to chainsaw use and chainsaw operation. Some Nelson and Wanganui high school students gained qualifications in knowledge of gun law and safe use of firearms through an arrangement with polytechnics, Mr Lennox said.
Schools now teach a wide range of subjects broken down into achievement and unit standards which can be credited toward NCEA.
Some schools get authority permission to teach and assess courses in specialist or trade subjects, beyond the traditional subjects like English and maths. Others have arrangements with private training establishments, polytechnics and workplaces to do the assessment.
"Pest control and chainsaws, both part of agricultural studies related to industry. Christian studies, recreational and sporting skills, like biking, and travel are all perfectly legitimate areas of learning for senior students in New Zealand to undertake," Mr Lennox said.
"All can lead to tertiary study and/or work, especially in some regions of the country. We need to ask ourselves what national school qualifications are all about . . . our schools are responding to the variety of pathways students can follow and the diverse needs of New Zealand's economy," he said.
The Qualifications Authority is considering a bid by the New Zealand Rugby Football Union to get unit standard status for skills taught in a pilot programme run this year in two Wellington secondary schools. The union's community refereeing manager, Trevor Howard, said it could be the first code to get unit standard status for skills taught in the programme You make the call.
Former primary school principal and union referee education officer John Kendal said the programme, piloted this year at Newlands College and St Patrick's Silverstream, taught year 13 (seventh form) boys and girls the "laws of the game" as well as injury management and communication skills.
Newlands College students Venus Ordona, 17, and Carli Aldridge, 17, said they used to give referees a hard time but now had a new respect for the job.
(Bron)