Changes to NCEA will be delayed two years, says Education Minister Erica Stanford. 

The NCEA Change Programme was brought in by the former Labour Government in 2020 to make the main qualification for Kiwi high school students more accessible, with a simpler structure, stronger literacy and numeracy requirements, and to provide clearer pathways to further education or work. 

The reforms also aimed to give equal status to mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and to make NCEA level 1 optional. 

However, the coalition Government is making significant changes to the programme, which will delay it by two years, Stanford said today. 

NCEA level 2 and a revised NCEA level 1 would be in place by 2028, and NCEA level 3 by 2029, she said. 

“The current NCEA Change Programme, introduced by the last Government, is fundamentally flawed, in that it designs the assessments before writing the curriculum that details what students should be learning.” 

Principals and teachers around the country had said the sector wasn’t ready for the roll-out of NCEA Level 1 changes, but the changes went ahead anyway, Stanford said. 

As a result, some schools stopped offering Level 1 NCEA at all, she said. 

“Therefore, I will be delaying the programme’s start by two years. It’s essential to change the approach, give certainty to teachers, parents and students about the implementation timeline of the NCEA Change Programme and put in place a clear, knowledge-rich curriculum. 

“Teachers have repeatedly called for greater clarity about what to teach. Only 40 per cent of schools reported being ready for the introduction of the new NCEA Level 1.” 

Schools need to have confidence in the national curriculum and qualifications, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. Photo / RNZ, Samuel Rillstone 

The delay would allow the Government to develop the secondary curriculum of year 11 to 13 subject areas before introduction of new assessments, Stanford said. 

The following was planned under the new timeline: 

• The Education Review Office would review the new NCEA Level 1, documenting its findings 
• Additional review of other aspects of the NCEA Change Programme, including the methods for external assessments, periods of study leave, and moderation practices 
• The senior secondary curriculum for year 11 to 13 students would be developed 
• An implementation plan based on what had been learned from ERO’s evaluation of level 1. 

The change showed the Government had listened to principals and teachers, Stanford said. 

“Schools need to have confidence in our national curriculum and qualifications. The Government is relentlessly focused on lifting student achievement and providing access to better public services through a high-performing education system.” 

More announcements were planned in the “coming weeks” on the Curriculum Reform package, she said.