Rangatahi need a system that reflects Aotearoa

Chris Abercrombie, President of PPTA, says the new approach will strip away too much of the flexibility that has long been a strength of New Zealand’s education system. 

“This doesn’t feel like us. New Zealand has built an education system that values flexibility, creativity, and recognising the different strengths of our young people. What is being proposed feels imported, rigid, and over-engineered.”

“We deliberately moved away from this kind of system more than 20 years ago. NCEA was designed to create space for different pathways and ways of demonstrating success. If we lose everything about that system, we are going to limit the potential of thousands of students.” 

“Flexibility is not a weakness. It is what allows students to succeed in different ways. Taking that away will not lift achievement. It will simply exclude more young people.” 

“New Zealand students consistently rank in the top five globally for creative thinking in international assessments like PISA. That is something we should be building on, not undermining.” 

“In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving are exactly the skills our young people will need. A rigid assessment system, including compulsory exams for all subjects moves us in the opposite direction.” 

While welcoming acknowledgement from the Minister that transition planning is important, Abercrombie said fundamental questions about the design and implementation of the system remain unanswered. 

“We still do not have a clear picture of how this system will work in practice, how it will align with the new curriculum – now that primary schools are implementing it later, or how schools will be supported to implement it successfully. The shambolic roll out of the SMART tool gives us very little confidence in the Minister’s plans” 

“Pushing these changes through ahead of the election risks placing enormous strain on a system that is already under pressure. Our students deserve reforms that are carefully designed, properly resourced, and focused on their success, not rushed to meet political deadlines.”