Replacing NCEA To Transform Secondary Education
Prime Minister
Minister of Education
The Government is proposing to replace NCEA with new national qualifications that ensure young people have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford say.
'We want every New Zealander to reach their full potential and contribute to a thriving economy— and that starts with our students,' Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says.
'The evidence shows NCEA is not consistent and can be hard to navigate. It doesn't always deliver what students and employers need.
'New Zealand's future depends on our young people having the skills to succeed in the modern global economy. We're backing Kiwi kids with a new internationally benchmarked national qualification designed to do exactly that,' Mr Luxon says.
'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,' Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
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 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,' Ms Stanford says.
'Our Government's major education reforms are well underway in primary and intermediate. 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,' Ms Stanford says.
'It's time to ensure that when students reach secondary school, our national qualification reflects the same high standards and ambition we expect throughout their education,' Ms Stanford says.
'The Government is focused on growing the economy, creating jobs, lifting wages and help Kiwis with the cost of living. Supporting our young people to succeed and develop their skills is a key part of how we do that,' Mr Luxon says.
Notes:
Consultation is open until 1 September before final decisions are made before the end of the year.
Changes are proposed to be phased in from next year, beginning with the new national curriculum in 2026, the Foundational Skills Award in 2028, and the new Certificates of Education in 2029 and 2030 for Years 12 and 13.
During the transition period, students will either be assessed through the current NCEA and curriculum or the new qualification and updated curriculum.
The full proposal and instructions on how to provide feedback are available here:
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