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Listen live: PM Christopher Luxon speaks after NCEA credibility concerns, new school builds

Listen live: PM Christopher Luxon speaks after NCEA credibility concerns, new school builds

NZ Herald20-07-2025
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is speaking on Newstalk ZB this morning on the back of announcements on millions of dollars of new classroom construction and revelations of concerns about NCEA.
Luxon was yesterday in Drury, Auckland, with Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Finance Minister Nicola Willis. They said $6 billion worth of construction projects would begin between now and Christmas.
Today, Luxon is due live on air about 7.37am.
Listen to the interview via the link below.
Education Minister Erica Stanford last Friday announced a $120 million spend on building more classrooms in Auckland, along with the creation of a new school property agency.
Two new school sites were also revealed. It had earlier been announced the Government was ditching open-plan classrooms and opting for standard designs.
Following the education policy announcements, the Herald then revealed a briefing document to Stanford about NCEA.
The damning Government briefing raised significant concerns about the credibility of the country's main secondary school qualification.
The document, obtained exclusively by the Herald, was presented by officials to Stanford in June. The minister is expected to announce proposals for the future of NCEA.
Among the red-light alerts to the minister is that the flexibility built into NCEA, including regarding what assessments students sit, means courses can be structured around those perceived to be 'easier' to accumulate credits.
The Auckland schools getting new classrooms include:
Bucklands Beach Intermediate – 2 classrooms
Helensville School – 1 classroom
Kauri Flats School – 4 classrooms
Lincoln Heights School – 6 classrooms
Macleans College – 8 classrooms
Massey High School – 8 classrooms
Mission Heights Primary School – ​6 classrooms
Mountain View School – 6 classrooms
Northcross Intermediate – 8 classrooms
One Tree Hill College – 6 classrooms
Orewa College – 12 classrooms
Panama Road School – 4 classrooms
Papakura Normal School – 10 classrooms (in addition to the two learning support classrooms already announced)
Papatoetoe Central School – 4 classrooms
Papatoetoe East School – 4 classrooms
Papatoetoe Intermediate – 6 classrooms
Papatoetoe South School – 6 classrooms
Puhinui School – 2 classrooms
Pukekohe North School – 4 classrooms
Rangitoto College – 10 classrooms
Te Kura o Pātiki Rosebank School – 4 classrooms
Takanini School – 4 classrooms
Tuakau College – 6 classrooms
Whenuapai School – 6 classrooms
Projects announced yesterday included:
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