Benefit Sanctions Double Under National As Unemployment Soars
'It's no wonder people are fleeing the country in droves with this Government punishing people for being unemployed at a time when there are little to no jobs,' says the Green Party's spokesperson for Social Development, Ricardo Menéndez March.
'This is blatant cruelty dressed up as policy. People deserve to live in dignity and to be supported in times of need, not punished.
'It's time to move past the Government's heartless game of blame and shame, where beneficiaries are targeted with arbitrary sanctions which have doubled since this Government took office.
'Sanctions strip people of the basics they need to live, with no proof that they help anyone find paid work. The Government increasing sanctions on the unemployed when there are little to no jobs is beyond cruel.
'Right now, Student Job Search data shows graduates are vying for a shrinking number of vacancies, leaving people stranded and increasingly without hope. Despite fewer job listings being available for a growing number of people on the benefit, the Government is hellbent on punishing the unemployed.
'This Government for the rich doesn't care about people doing it tough. We can afford to care for each other, our communities deserve so much better.
'The Green Party ran on a fully costed plan to end poverty - built on a fair tax system. A Green Government will guarantee liveable incomes, scrap cruel benefit sanctions, and offer meaningful support to connect people with jobs that match their skills and aspirations,' says Ricardo Menéndez March.
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1News
an hour ago
- 1News
Government proposes axing NCEA, introducing new qualifications
The Government is proposing to replace the current NCEA with new national qualifications, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford announced this morning. The pair made the announcement in Auckland this morning, saying the current system "doesn't always deliver what students and employers need". "We want every New Zealander to reach their full potential and contribute to a thriving economy — and that starts with our students," Luxon said. "The evidence shows NCEA is not consistent and can be hard to navigate." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. (Source: 1News) ADVERTISEMENT The proposal includes: Removing NCEA Level 1, requiring students to take English and Mathematics at Year 11, and sit a foundation award (test) in numeracy and literacy. Replacing NCEA Levels 2 and 3 with two new qualifications (The New Zealand Certificate of Education at Year 12 and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education at Year 13). Requiring students to take five subjects and pass at least four to attain each certificate. Marking clearly out of 100 with grades that make sense to parents like A, B, C, D, E. Working with industry to develop better vocational pathways so students are getting the skills relevant to certain career pathways. The new qualification would be underpinned by a new national curriculum for Years 9-13 that outlines what students need to learn in each subject and when, in a bid to provide more consistency. "While NCEA was designed to be flexible, for many students that flexibility has encouraged a focus on simply attaining the qualification. This has come at the cost of developing the critical skills and knowledge they need for clear pathways into future study, training or employment," Stanford said. Education Minister Erica Stanford. (Source: 1News) "This is about making sure our national qualification opens doors for every young person, whether they're heading into a trade, university, or straight into work. Parents can be assured their kids will get the best possible opportunity to thrive." Luxon said "New Zealand's future depends on our young people having the skills to succeed in the modern global economy". ADVERTISEMENT "We're backing Kiwi kids with a new internationally benchmarked national qualification designed to do exactly that. Stanford said the Government's major education reforms were already "well underway in primary and intermediate". The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including toddler found in suitcase on bus, Russian volcano erupts, and Liam Lawson pips former world champion. (Source: 1News) "Every student is already taught at least an hour a day of reading, writing, and maths, we've banned cell phones in classrooms, we've introduced a world-leading Maths and English curriculum, mandated structured literacy and maths programmes, equipped teachers and students with high-quality resources, made huge investments into learning support and stopped building open-plan classrooms," Stanford says. Consultation on the proposal will be open until September 15, with final decisions to be make before the year's end. The proposed changes are to be phased in, with the new national curriculum coming in next year. The Foundational Skills Award will start in 2028, and the Certificates of Education in 2029 and 2030 for Year 12 and 13. ADVERTISEMENT During the transition period, students will be assessed either through the current NCEA system, or the new one. 'NCEA is basically not a rigorous curriculum' With the Government considering the future of NCEA, co-founder of billion-dollar company Crimson Education Jamie Beaton is urging massive changes to NZ's secondary school qualification. (Source: Q and A) Yesterday, Crimson Education co-founder Jamie Beaton told Q+A that NCEA wasn't setting students up well for future success, and lacks international recognition. "To be honest, it's rough. NCEA is basically not a rigorous curriculum at all, and students graduating with it are often two years behind in core subjects like maths, science as well," said Beaton. Labour respond Labour education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said the proposed abolishment of NCEA left unanswered questions and said the last thing students need was "more confusion". ADVERTISEMENT "Previous rushed overhauls have led to students being the guinea pigs for failed change – like national standards – so we must get this right. Any change must be done with proper sector consultation and be based on evidence that it will lead to better outcomes for all students," she said. "I am worried that teachers, parents and whānau have such a short window to share their voices after being excluded in the months leading up to this announcement. "The Government must ensure any change is evidence-based, has students' futures in mind and allow time for proper consultation so that we can get this right for all young people and children." ACT respond ACT Leader David Seymour said the party "wholeheartedly supports this move", saying students deserve a system that is "universally good". "Over the time that the NCEA has been in place, New Zealand high school students have fallen badly in the OECD's PISA study. The study of 15-year-olds in reading, maths, and science is done once every three years. "In the early 2000s when NCEA was introduced, New Zealand was often in the top five. Today we are 23rd for maths, and in each subject today's students are about a year behind where the same aged students were at the start of the century. ADVERTISEMENT Seymour said replacing the NCEA with a rich body of real knowledge being richly assessed was "the right direction". "If New Zealand is going to be a high income country through the twenty-first century, it must have the policies in place to pass useful knowledge from one generation to the next." Greens respond Greens education spokesperson Lawrence Xu-Nan said the proposal risked "turning back the clock on decades of progress toward a student-centred system". "Today's announcement is another classic case of the Government favouring one-size-fits-all approaches. Our education system is too important to be reduced to a single, rigid framework that will leave many behind. "Our rangatahi are so much more than just workers-in-training. Education should not be designed simply as an add on to the labour market or to conform to narrow economic thinking, but to grow the whole person." He said students deserved a system which equipped them "to achieve their unique potential, not one that measures them against a single standard". ADVERTISEMENT PPTA respond PPTA president Chris Abercrombie said Chris Abercrombie said there were many positive aspects of NCEA with "undoubted benefits for students" that should be retained and built on. "As a standards-based assessment system that is based on the principle that all students should have opportunities to succeed, be rewarded for what they know, and can demonstrate and fulfil their potential, the NCEA has clear advantages over the previous qualification system, which had a built-in failure rate. 'Of course, no system is perfect, and in recent years there has been widespread agreement on improvements to NCEA, including fewer and larger standards, clearer vocational pathways, and a simpler structure. "However, to the great frustration of teachers these changes either failed to be implemented or resourced adequately. The lack of adequate support for, and political flip flopping on, NCEA means teachers are left trying to fill the gaps. We need stability and certainty," he said. Hospitality, business sectors encouraged Hospitality NZ chief executive Steve Armitage said he was pleased to see the Government considering changes with the potential to "improve vocational pathways, and support hospitality becoming an industry of choice". ADVERTISEMENT "We're particularly encouraged by the Government's commitment to working with industry to design coherent vocational learning packages. This could ensure that hospitality standards reflect the skills and professionalism our sector requires, while giving students a clear pathway from school into hospo careers." BusinessNZ chief executive Katherine Rich said the current system was not delivering what students, parents, teachers, or employers needed. "Whether a school-leaver is heading on to university, an apprenticeship, or directly into work, the education system must offer transparent, reliable guidance to build confidence and inform whatever choice they're making." "This is an opportunity to strengthen the connection between schools, training providers, and industry. By working closer together, we can better support learners with real-world pathways, ensure relevant skills are being learned, and deliver long-term benefits for communities and the economy alike." Universities NZ respond Universities New Zealand said it broadly supported the direction of proposed changes to the NCEA qualification system, but reserved full judgement until more detail was released. Universities NZ chief executive Chris Whelan said the proposals appeared to address long-standing concerns about the current system. ADVERTISEMENT "We have previously raised concerns that the flexibility of NCEA has led to a focus on simply gaining credits rather than developing deep knowledge and critical thinking needed for students to succeed at a university level," he said. "This proposal appears to address those concerns." "University Entrance is a robust indicator of a student's readiness for degree-level standards, and we would expect that to continue under a new system." He welcomed the Government's decision to phase in the changes over a longer period, saying it would allow time for careful planning and consultation.
Otago Daily Times
2 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
What could replace NCEA - and how to have your say
The Government announced sweeping changes to school qualifications on Monday morning, including the end of the NCEA system that has been in place for more than 20 years. What is happening to NCEA? The government plans to replace it with a new educational qualification system Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said will give graduates "the skills to succeed in the modern global economy". The qualifications will still retain a standards-based assessment as NCEA does. NCEA Level 1, which typically takes place in Year 11, will be abolished. Students in Year 11 will be required to take English and Mathematics and sit a new 'Foundational Skills Award' test that documents achievement in literacy and numeracy, or te reo matatini and pāngarau. It is not yet clear if the new Foundation Certificate for Year 11 will simply be the current online literacy and numeracy tests. Two new qualifications replace NCEA Level 2 and Level 3. Year 12 and 13 students will now qualify with the New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) respectively. Students will be required to take five subjects and pass at least four to attain each certificate in Years 12 and 13. A to E pass fail grades will return instead of "excellent, merit, achieved and not achieved" rankings, and the government says plans include "working with industry to develop better vocational pathways so students are getting the skills relevant to certain career pathways". Read the full discussion document here (PDF) The new qualification will be underpinned by a new national curriculum for Years 9-13 that will clearly outline what students need to learn in each subject and when, providing more consistency. "This is about making sure our national qualification opens doors for every young person, whether they're heading into a trade, university, or straight into work. Parents can be assured their kids will get the best possible opportunity to thrive," Education Minister Erica Stanford said. NCEA - which stands for National Certificate of Educational Achievement - has until now been the main secondary school qualification. It was introduced between 2002 and 2004, replacing School Certificate, University Entrance, Sixth Form Certificate and Bursary qualifications. When does this take effect? The changes will be phased in over the next five years, starting in 2026. The proposal is open for public consultation until 15 September before final decisions are made. Learn more about submitting on the proposal here Feedback would then be analysed, and in November Cabinet would consider the final policy recommendations. What about my children who are doing NCEA right now? The government says students who are currently Year 9 in 2025 will continue to receive secondary school learning under the old curriculum and will be assessed under NCEA Levels 1, 2, and 3. Students who are currently Year 8 in 2025 will begin to receive new curriculum learning from 2026 and will be assessed under the new award and qualifications. "It is important that changes to the curriculum and the qualifications are aligned - so that students are being taught and assessed under either the current curriculum and NCEA, or the new curriculum and qualifications," the discussion document says. So, for a period of time during the transition, teachers will be grading across two different frameworks. Why is NCEA going away? "The evidence shows NCEA is not consistent and can be hard to navigate," Luxon said. "It doesn't always deliver what students and employers need." "While NCEA was designed to be flexible, for many students that flexibility has encouraged a focus on simply attaining the qualification," Stanford said. "This has come at the cost of developing the critical skills and knowledge they need for clear pathways into future study, training or employment." There have been many reports about students suffering anxiety over NCEA exams. Last year, barely half the teenagers who tried to pass the critical NCEA literacy and numeracy benchmark via online tests succeeded. The Education Review Office has called for changes to NCEA Level 1 or to drop it altogether.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Explainer: What's replacing NCEA and how to have your say
The government announced sweeping changes to school qualifications on Monday morning, including the end of the NCEA system that has been in place for more than 20 years. The government plans to replace it with a new educational qualification system Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said will give graduates "the skills to succeed in the modern global economy". The qualifications will still retain a standards-based assessment as NCEA does. NCEA Level 1, which typically takes place in Year 11, will be abolished. Students in Year 11 will be required to take English and Mathematics and sit a new 'Foundational Skills Award' test that documents achievement in literacy and numeracy, or te reo matatini and pāngarau. It is not yet clear if the new Foundation Certificate for Year 11 will simply be the current online literacy and numeracy tests. Two new qualifications replace NCEA Level 2 and Level 3. Year 12 and 13 students will now qualify with the New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) respectively. Students will be required to take five subjects and pass at least four to attain each certificate in Years 12 and 13. A to E pass fail grades will return instead of "excellent, merit, achieved and not achieved" rankings, and the government says plans include "working with industry to develop better vocational pathways so students are getting the skills relevant to certain career pathways". The new qualification will be underpinned by a new national curriculum for Years 9-13 that will clearly outline what students need to learn in each subject and when, providing more consistency. "This is about making sure our national qualification opens doors for every young person, whether they're heading into a trade, university, or straight into work. Parents can be assured their kids will get the best possible opportunity to thrive," Education Minister Erica Stanford said. An example of what a student's record of achievement could look like under the New Zealand Certificate of Education and New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education. Photo: Supplied / Ministry of Education NCEA - which stands for National Certificate of Educational Achievement - has until now been the main secondary school qualification. It was introduced between 2002 and 2004, replacing School Certificate, University Entrance, Sixth Form Certificate and Bursary qualifications. The changes will be phased in over the next five years, starting in 2026. The proposal is open for public consultation until 15 September before final decisions are made. Feedback would then be analysed, and in November Cabinet would consider the final policy commendations. The government says students who are currently Year 9 in 2025 will continue to receive secondary school learning under the old curriculum and will be assessed under NCEA Levels 1, 2, and 3. Students who are currently Year 8 in 2025 will begin to receive new curriculum learning from 2026 and will be assessed under the new award and qualifications. Photo: Supplied / Ministry of Education "It is important that changes to the curriculum and the qualifications are aligned - so that students are being taught and assessed under either the current curriculum and NCEA, or the new curriculum and qualifications," the discussion document says. So, for a period of time during the transition teachers will be grading across two different frameworks. "The evidence shows NCEA is not consistent and can be hard to navigate," Luxon said. "It doesn't always deliver what students and employers need." "While NCEA was designed to be flexible, for many students that flexibility has encouraged a focus on simply attaining the qualification," Stanford said. "This has come at the cost of developing the critical skills and knowledge they need for clear pathways into future study, training or employment." There have been many reports about students suffering anxiety over NCEA exams . Last year, barely half the teenagers who tried to pass the critical NCEA literacy and numeracy benchmark via online tests succeeded. The Education Review Office has called for changes to NCEA Level 1 or to drop it altogether. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
