Video: Luxon, Stanford answer questions about massive education shake-up
Here's what to know as the Government proposes a major shake-up to all levels of New Zealand's National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA).
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RNZ News
17 minutes ago
- RNZ News
NCEA overhaul concerns Kura Kaupapa Māori, opportunity to consider own qualifications
A student's book at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Takapu Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly Kura Kaupapa Māori have expressed concern about the government's proposal to replace NCEA with a new qualification model, saying kura kaupapa students have only just mastered the current system. Co-chairperson of Te Rūnanga Nui o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa Rawiri Wright said he supports the establishment of an assessment framework that ensures integrity and mana for Māori learners, but the current proposal fails to accommodate the proven strengths of Kura Kaupapa Māori. "My gut reaction is it's a return to the bad old days of the school certificate regime and that didn't do us any favours as Māori people." But Wright said there could be an opportunity for kura to consider their own qualifications. "Perhaps the time has come for Kura Kaupapa Māori and Te Aho Matua schools to consider establishing our own qualifications and assessment strategies, aligned with the learning programmes of the Māori wānanga across the country." Education Minister Erica Stanford told Nine to Noon there was "too much credit counting" with NCEA. "I can see the system is being gamed... Credits are being used to get students across the line, like participating in a group activity or filling out a form," she said. Rawiri Wright says the proposed replacement was a monocultural, Eurocentric approach to education, he said. Photo: Te Rawhitiroa Bosch But Wright said the NCEA model has provided greater flexibility for Kura Kaupapa. He questioned why the game was being changed now. "It seems to us that our Kura Kaupapa Māori kids and kaiako (teachers) and kura, we got really familiar, we learnt how to play the NCEA game really well, to the point where the ministry now has 15 years of data which shows that our kids have outperformed all other schooling options in the country in terms of NCEA achievement." A Qualifications Authority report from 2024 showed that students at kaupapa Māori schools achieved better NCEA results than their peers at comparable English-medium schools. They had NCEA achievement rates of 63 percent at level 1, 72 percent at level 2 and 73 percent at level 3. Achievement rates for all students in the comparator group of English-medium schools were 54, 66 and 61 percent and for Māori students in those schools the rates were 50, 64 and 56 percent. Wright said the consultation process, which closes 15 September, is a very short window to pull together a high quality meaningful response to the governments proposal. "The minister and the prime minister have said themselves that they want to get something in place before the end of the year so it just means that we all have to be on our game and get our submissions together quickly." The proposed NCEA replacement was a monocultural, Eurocentric approach to education, he said. "The process of education that they're still insisting on foisting upon us is that of a mono-cultural Eurocentric education system which has been in place in the country for 269 years. It has not worked for thousands of Māori and Pasifika students, why on earth would they think these changes are going to make any significant difference to that."
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RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Watch: AI will aid with NCEA replacement, Education Minister says
Education Minister Erica Stanford has fronted media from her old high school after the government proposed to replace all levels of NCEA . Under the proposal, NCEA level 1 would be replaced with foundation literacy and numeracy tests . Levels 2 and 3 would be replaced with a New Zealand Certificate of Education and an Advanced Certificate. Students would be required to take five subjects and pass at least four to get each certificate. Marking would be out of 100 and grades would and range from A to E. Teachers' unions are cautiously optimistic the changes will work, provided they are implemented and resourced well. Stanford fielded questions at Auckland's Rangitoto College, a school she attended, and her children now go to. Education Minister Erica Stanford visits Rangitoto College, Auckland, 5 August 2025. Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel Stanford said the cost of the changes had mostly been budgeted already through previous Budget announcements. She said there is already a reform process in place, which the government is using and shifting across. "There will likely be future budgets when we're looking at the feed pathways, the vocational pathways, we know there will be a little bit there," she said. "But we're gearing up for that right now for next year's Budget." Education Minister Erica Stanford visits Rangitoto College, Auckland, 5 August 2025. Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel Stanford said New Zealand will continue to use AI as a marking tool, as it already been used for literacy and numeracy corequisite exams. "We're extraordinarily advanced in terms of the rest of the world," she said. "Many other countries can't even dream of where we're at the moment - digital exams, AI marking." AI marking was as good, if not better than human marking, she said. Stanford said the tool would be crucial to moving away from NCEA Level 1. "You've got to remember we are dropping Level 1 so there is a whole year of internal and external assessments that will go all together," she said. "If we didn't have AI, this is something that probably wouldn't be possible without a massive injection for NZQA. "But we do have AI, it is coming, and it is getting better and better every year ... and I'm confident that will help (teachers) mark quicker." Education Minister Erica Stanford visits Rangitoto College, Auckland, 5 August 2025. Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel Stanford hoped the changes would make it easier for students, but also parents to understand the grading of an assessment. "There's a couple ways we're using the word 'standard'. Essentially, the way we want to be using it now is the standard is the curriculum," she said. "Teachers will be very used to marking an assessment, or an essay for example as a mark out of 100 ... it does give a lot more clarity to students on how they can improve, and also to parents really importantly." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
