The government’s proposal to replace NCEA will not affect Te Kura O Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) students currently in years 9-13, principal Nicola Jacobsen says.

Earlier this week plans for a new “internationally benchmarked national qualification” were unveiled by prime minister Christopher Luxon, who said NCEA is inconsistent, hard to navigate, and doesn’t always deliver the skills students need for future success.

Under the proposed changes, NCEA level one will be replaced by foundational literacy and numeracy tests, and levels two and three will be replaced by a ‘New Zealand Certificate of Education’ and an ‘Advanced Certificate’.

In levels two and three students will need to take five subjects and pass four to attain their certificate, and marks out of 100 and traditional letter grades like A,B,C and D will be reinstated.

MAC principal Nicola Jacobsen said while the school was expecting further changes to NCEA, she was surprised by the proposal to replace it with an entirely new system.

While MAC’s senior students will finish out their high school education with NCEA, the new curriculum will be phased in from 2026 for younger students.

“Our students who are currently in year 8 will be impacted by the changes as they will undertake a new qualification, with new curriculum learning being phased in from next year,” Nicola told the Wānaka App.

“We are well equipped to manage such changes as we’ve been managing changes to the NCEA since a review of it began in 2018,” she said.

Education minister Erica Stanford said this week that NCEA’s “flexibility” has “come at the cost of developing the critical skills and knowledge [students] need for clear pathways into future study, training or employment”.

She said the proposal was about making sure the national qualification “opens doors for every young person, whether they’re heading into a trade, university, or straight into work”.

Nicola provided reassurance about the value of NCEA.

“NCEA remains a valid qualification, and our students can continue to pursue their learning pathways and post-school goals, including accessing university pathways internationally,” she told the Wānaka App.

MAC was taken by surprise by the government’s announcement that it would scrap NCEA.

“While we had been expecting further changes to NCEA, we were surprised to learn that NCEA would be replaced by an entirely new qualification system,” Nicola said.

She said the school would be advising parents and caregivers on how to give feedback on the proposal in its Friday newsletter.

“For now, nothing will change for our students as we wait for the public consultation period to finish on 15 September and for the government to consider the feedback.”

Find more information on the proposal here.

PHOTOS: Supplied