The Government has confirmed its secondary qualification overhaul plan, giving details on the new qualifications which the PPTA have described as “rigid and over-engineered”.
In a media release, Education Minister Erica Stanford said the new certificates, taken in Years 12 and 13 respectively, would be called the New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE).
Read the latest print edition of School News online HERE.
Under the new system, students will be expected to study a minimum of five subjects each year, with a minimum of three subjects required to achieve qualification. Additionally, students will need to obtain the new Foundational Award in literacy and numeracy, which is benchmarked at Year 11, to gain the new qualifications.
Once achieved, students will be issued a certificate detailing passed subjects and grades achieved, which Ms Stanford said would create incentives for students to work hard across more subjects.
Students who excel across all five subjects will also be eligible for endorsement awards, recognising outstanding academic and vocational performance.
Related School News article: Curriculum implementation timeline extended for New Zealand schools
Ms Stanford said the new system was intended to provide clarity.
“The new qualifications will introduce a six-point grading scale from A+ to E for every subject, making achievement easier to understand for parents, employers, tertiary providers and students themselves.
“We want young people leaving school with qualifications that are clear, rigorous and widely understood by parents, employers, tertiary providers and students themselves,” Ms Stanford said.
“These changes are designed to provide clearer pathways, stronger foundations and greater confidence in what student achievement means.”
Each subject will be assessed both internally and with an examination, with examination weightings varying by subject.
Compulsory science and new subjects
The statement also confirmed that Science will join English and Maths as a compulsory Year 11 subject from 2028, and that new subjects are being developed.
“Science gives young people important foundational knowledge in today’s modern world, paving the way for our future scientists, problem-solvers and innovators,” said Ms Stanford.
“In 2025 we confirmed the subject list being developed by the Ministry of Education. Examples of exciting new subjects that have been confirmed for the curriculum are ‘Civics, Politics and Philosophy’, ‘Journalism, Media and Communications’ and ‘Advanced Mathematics’.
“Also included are industry-led subjects being developed by Industry Skills Boards that will be included in the qualification with parity of esteem alongside the Ministry subjects. These include subjects like Building and Construction, Outdoor Education and Primary Industries.”
Union unhappy with direction of change
However, the Post Primary Teachers’ Association Te Wehengarua (PPTA) was quick to criticise the confirmed changes, calling them “a rigid import” that did not reflect the needs of New Zealand’s ākonga.
PPTA president Chris Abercrombie described the changes as a shift towards an over-engineered model that did not reflect Aotearoa, its young people, or its needs for the future.
“This doesn’t feel like us. New Zealand has built an education system that values flexibility, creativity, and recognising the different strengths of our young people. What is being proposed feels imported, rigid, and over-engineered.”
“We deliberately moved away from this kind of system more than 20 years ago. NCEA was designed to create space for different pathways and ways of demonstrating success.
“If we lose everything about that system, we are going to limit the potential of thousands of students.”
“Flexibility is not a weakness. It is what allows students to succeed in different ways. Taking that away will not lift achievement. It will simply exclude more young people.”
“New Zealand students consistently rank in the top five globally for creative thinking in international assessments like PISA. That is something we should be building on, not undermining.”
“In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving are exactly the skills our young people will need.
“A rigid assessment system, including compulsory exams for all subjects moves us in the opposite direction.”
