WELLINGTON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand has confirmed details of a major overhaul of its secondary school qualifications, replacing the long-standing National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) with a new system aimed at improving clarity and credibility.
The new framework will introduce two subject-based qualifications: the Certificate of Education at Year 12 and the Advanced Certificate of Education at Year 13, Education Minister Erica Stanford said on Saturday.
"We want young people leaving school with qualifications that are clear, rigorous and widely understood by parents, employers, tertiary providers and students themselves," Stanford said, adding the changes will be phased in over two years with a view to producing qualifications that are "credible" and "internationally comparable."
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in a speech that the current NCEA was hard to navigate and did not clearly show students' level of achievement to them or prospective employers.
Under the new system, students must study at least five subjects each year, with a minimum of three required to gain each qualification. A separate literacy and numeracy "Foundational Award," assessed at Year 11 level, will be mandatory.
From 2028, science will become compulsory in Year 11 alongside English and mathematics, the minister said.
The revised curriculum, with current Year 9 students forming the first cohort to progress through these changes, will also introduce new subjects such as civics and journalism, alongside industry-led subjects including construction and primary industries. ■
