The Government has announced its proposed replacement for the current NCEA system, which includes compulsory literacy and numeracy at Year 11, with the possibility of mandatory science.
NCEA Level 1 will be replaced with a Year 11 foundational award, followed by a new qualification that has two levels across Years 12 and 13, assessed on whole subjects based on a national curriculum.
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Education Minister Erica Stanford shared “the first major step in rebuilding New Zealand’s senior secondary qualification system” in a public media conference on Thursday, March 26 from One Tree Hill College in Auckland.
Ms Stanford said the aim was a stronger system of qualifications.
“Our goal is clear, and always has been; a qualification that is clear and is a measure of student progress and achievement against a very strong and rigorous national curriculum, one that parents, employers and universities can trust.”
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The overall goal, she said, was for a “clearer, more coherent picture of achievement”.
“The shortcomings of NCEA are well known and have been for some time.”
The new system would be a single qualification pathway that included trades, she said, although she did not elaborate further on how trades fitted into the proposed system.
The full extent of changes will be finalised this year, Ms Stanford said, with a “preparatory year” and professional learning in 2027. New assessments will roll out yearly from 2028, meaning the current Year 9 cohort will be the first to go through the new system.
The full, current changes announced at the media conference for Years 11, 12 and 13 were:
Year 11:
- NCEA Level 1 will be abolished, and replaced with a Year 11 foundational award which will assess literacy and numeracy. Science may also be included, but this is subject to further consultation.
- Accordingly, literacy and numeracy will be mandatory subjects at Year 11, as well as potentially science, to focus on “deep curriculum learning”
- Year 11s will no longer have study leave from the beginning of Term 4, sitting a full year of formal lessons instead
- This change will take effect from 2028.
Years 12 and 13:
- Subjects will be assessed with mandatory exams, although the exact weighting and structure has yet to be determined
- The new Year 12 assessment structure will take effect from 2029, and Year 13 in 2030.
An education roadshow would take place in June, Ms Stanford announced, to share details with principals around the country. Following this would be a package of professional learning, with information around this being released later this year.
“The roadshow will help schools prepare for the new subject-based qualification structure and the knowledge rich curriculum.
“These events will support leaders to understand the changes, build capability, and share implementation approaches across the country,” said Ms Stanford.
The next phase of the Government’s plan, she said, was to finalise the structure, curriculum and assessment weighting for the new programme.
“Tranche two includes achievement requirements for Year 12 and 13, information about grading, the balance of internal versus and external assessments, weighting of exams, moderation, comparability, and complex decisions.”
There will now be a consultation process over the next six weeks, where educators, unions, organisations and the public could have their say.
