Proposed NCEA changes are designed to ensure that Southland students leave school with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in further education, training, or employment.
It’s essential that young Southlanders receive a world class education that sets them up for life. At the moment kids are leaving school without the skills they need for future study, training and employment.
Under the proposed changes, Year 11 students would no longer sit NCEA Level 1. Instead, they would focus on building foundational skills in literacy and numeracy, recognised through a new standalone Foundational Skills Award.
The existing NCEA Levels 2 and 3 would be replaced by two new qualifications: the New Zealand Certificate of Education for Year 12, and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education for Year 13.
We want to make the qualifications less complex, so everyone is clear where a student is at with their learning. That’s why we are proposing that each subject will have internal and external assessments that add up to a total of 100 marks, aligning with a grade of A, B, C or D.
The national qualification will be underpinned by a new internationally comparable curriculum for Years 9–13, bringing structure and consistency to what students should learn in each subject.
The reforms will also see vocational pathways, like automotive or agriculture, having equity with academic pathways within the secondary school system. This will drive a more seamless transition for students to polytechnics, trades training, or employment.
In this way the education system will be more relevant, practical and future focused for young Kiwis as they strive to achieve their career goals.
Public consultation is open now and runs to September 15, with final decisions expected to go before Cabinet by the end of 2025.
The reforms aim to move from the current standards-based assessment model to a subject-based approach, designed to provide a more coherent and meaningful learning experience.
The new curriculum will be introduced at the beginning of 2026, the Foundational Skills Award in 2028, and new certificates in 2029 and 2030 for Years 12 and 13.
There would be no disruption for students currently doing NCEA. We want Southland young people to receive a world leading education that sets them up for life – these changes will achieve this.
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