Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford are due to deliver an update in Orewa, North Auckland today.
In March, the government confirmed that NCEA would be replaced by a new subject-based qualification over two years The new qualification will be the New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) at Year 12 and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) at Year 13.
“Under the new system, students in Years 12 and 13 will study at least five subjects each year, with a minimum of three subjects required to achieve each qualification,” Stanford said.
She said obtaining the new literacy and numeracy Foundational Award, benchmarked at Year 11, will be a requirement to gain the new qualification.
“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.” From 2028 the compulsory subjects in Year 11 will include science (pūtaiao), English (te reo rangatira) and mathematics (pāngarau).
Stanford also confirmed some of the new subjects that will be introduced into the curriculum including Civics, Politics and Philosophy, Advanced Mathematics and Journalism, Media and Communications.
“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.” “This qualification rewards hard work and is designed to encourage young people to strive to do their very best, and ultimately to feel proud of what they achieved,” Stanford said.
She confirmed every subject will include internal assessments and an examination, with the weighting of the examination varying depending on the curriculum area and the nature of the subject.
She added that certificates will show how many subjects a student has passed, along with the grade achieved in each subject.
Students who achieve excellent results across all five subjects will also be eligible for endorsement awards.
Stanford said current Year 9 students will be the first cohort to progress through these changes.
NCEA replacement, NZCE Year 12, NZACE Year 13, subject-based qualification, literacy and numeracy award, six-point grading scale