NCEA might be replaced under a new proposed curriculum by the government, and instead, place a system that allows students “to reach their full potential” and contribute more to the economy.

“The evidence shows NCEA is not consistent and can be hard to navigate. It doesn’t always deliver what students and employers need,” said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

“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.”

Luxon, alongside Education Minister Erica Stanford, announced the proposed changes this morning.

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 receive the skills relevant to specific career pathways.

“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,” Erica Stanford wrote in a statement.

If implemented, the new system will apply only to rangatahi who are in Year 8 or below from 2026 onwards, while those in Year 9 and above will complete their schooling under the current NCEA system.

“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,” Stanford said.

“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,” says Standford.

Although Luxon and Stanford are excited about the new changes, some aren’t too optimistic.

“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,” said PPTA Te Wehengarua President Chris Abercrombie.

“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,” says Abercrombie.

Data from 2023 showed students in a Kaupapa Māori setting achieved higher results and were more likely to pass NCEA than their counterparts in mainstream schools.