Teachers say they are disappointed feedback fro the sector on replacing NCEA was not listened to.

The government on Saturday released further details about the new secondary school qualification framework, which was expected to begin replacing NCEA from 2028.

It would be replaced by the New Zealand Certificate of Education with more priority to be given to exams.

President of New Zealand Association for the Teaching of English, Pip Tinning, told Morning Report, the sector had been advocating to further strengthen NCEA rather than replace it.

“We were very aware that there were issues sitting within that qualification, however, it was working.”

But Education Minister Erica Stanford told Morning Report, under NCEA students were able to “game” the education system.

She said under NCEA students were getting too many credits from things like short barista courses or being able to paddle in water.

Tinning said the flexibility NCEA offered was one of its strengths.

There were issues with the structural makeup of NCEA, Stanford said.

“Chasing little tiny credits you can pick and choose between is a fundamental flaw in the system. The system is set up an and designed in a way that can be hugely gamed.”

Stanford said if a student was not getting the credits needed in English for example, the school could tell them to do a barista course to make up the credits.

“We have got a system that has been failing our kids… Let’s raise the bar and have aspiration for our kids.”

Stanford said there would be a “big announcement” on Monday afternoon about a pre-Budget investment in the education sector.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and education minister Erica Stanford are set to make an education announcement in Lower Hutt this afternoon.

They’re speaking to media at Boulcott School.

This is a pre-budget announcement ahead of Budget Day on 28 May.

The livestream is due to begin around 2.30pm.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

The government will spend $131 million on improving students’ reading, writing and maths in this year’s budget, the Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

Stanford made the pre-Budget announcement alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at Boulcott School in Lower Hutt on Monday.

They revealed 12 initiatives as part of the government’s “generational reforms” in primary and intermediate school education.

The new maths intiatives included:

• Maths hubs to improve teacher confidence and capability
• Hands-on maths resources and games for all Year 0-8 classrooms
• 36 additional Maths intervention teachers
• A new times table and division check at Year 5

The new literacy initiatives included:

• New writing workbooks for Year 4 and 5
• A digital writing tool for all Year 6-8 students
• New “decodable” books for older learners in Year 3-10
• A 12-week structured literacy programme for those who are struggling
• A new Year 2 Literacy Check, covering reading, comprehension, writing, spelling and basic punctuation (joining the existing Year 2 Maths Check)
• Guidance for teachers to improve the teaching of literacy, with supporting videos and resources.

There would also be a new reading action plan called Read to Succeed – joining the Make it Count maths plan and Write it Right writing plan.

The initiatives would contribute to the government’s target of seeing 80 percent of Year 8 students achieving the expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing and maths by December 2030, Stanford said.

“Parents will have more information at each step of their child’s journey about how they are doing at school and students will be better set up for success when they enter high school.”

Stanford said the investments would “level the playing field, reducing costs for schools and backing evidence-led reforms”.

There were early signs the government’s education reforms were already working, she said.

The latest Curriculum Insights and Progress Study looked at student achievement in late 2025 – three terms into previous reforms – and the results “surpassed expectations”, she said.

“A statistically significant improvement of 5 percent in writing and 6 percent in mathematics for Year 6 students between 2024 and 2025 interrupts New Zealand’s long-term decline in achievement between Year 4 and Year 8 and will better set these students up for success at high school.”

But the early improvement in some areas needed to translate to more consistent improvements over time, with more students achieving and fewer needing additional support, Stanford said.

She said the government is delivering on its promise to continue investment in education reforms.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

America’s Cup winner and Olympic gold medallist Blair Tuke says the government should scrap its Fisheries legislation.

Tuke was speaking to the Primary Production select committee on behalf of the Live Ocean Foundation alongside ultramarathon swimmer Jono Ridler in response to the Fisheries Amendment Bill.

The bill makes changes to catch limits and the handling of on-boat monitoring footage with the aim of growing exports.

Several environmental groups have called for the bill to be stopped, while fishing companies say it helps modernise a system that has worked well for New Zealand for decades.

Tuke said New Zealand was responsible for the fourth-largest ocean space in the world, but the legislation would further entrench bottom trawling and fail to protect habitats – many of which could take centuries to recover.

“For a country surrounded by the moana, when it comes to ocean stewardship we are not leading – in fact, if it was sport, I would say we don’t even rank.”

Ridler said that while the bill did not specifically promote bottom trawling, the amendments “in aggregate prioritise short-term, bulk harvesting over broader ecosystem impacts”.

“It prioritises economic gain and bulk harvesting, including bottom trawling, while reducing safeguards to protect the environment. This increases the pressure on at-risk species and vulnerable habitats.”

He said their second concern was a weakening of environmental safeguards.

Fishing company opposes public access to boat footage

Moana New Zealand general manager Mark Ngata said New Zealand’s largest Māori-owned seafood company would be open to having an independent officer of Parliament review boat footage, but it should not be made public.

He said the company had begun using on-boat cameras eight years before it became mandatory, and having the ministry check footage was “more than sufficient”.

“We have always had the view of transparency, but also collecting information, otherwise you can’t make good decisions on what’s happening out there … it’s very important to maintain the privacy of our fishermen.

“We believe that having an organisation like the ministry out there that’s that watchdog, if you like, we think that’s more than sufficient.”

When questioned by New Zealand First’s Mark Patterson about whether an independent officer of Parliament could do that job instead, he said “trust comes from working together and solving problems … something like that could be considered”.

Overall, he said the bill was an important step for modernising fisheries management, improving responsiveness, efficiency, and certainty.

“We consider the bill to be a natural evolution of the quota management system reflecting advances in monitoring, reporting, and data availability.”

Canterbury council fears for biodiversity

Speaking for Canterbury Regional Council, councillor Genevieve Robinson said it had “serious concerns” that the proposed law risked undermining the council’s ability to meet its obligations to protect biodiversity and threatened species.

“Canterbury has the largest coastal marine area jurisdiction of any regional council in this country. More than 40 percent of our jurisdiction is coastal marine area, and that includes nationally significant ecosystems.”

“Several aspects of this bill move fisheries management away from ecosystem-based management. In particular, the council is concerned about the narrowing of the total allowable catch considerations, the reduced transparency around the onboard cameras, and the increased flexibility around annual catch entitlement carrying forward.”

She said catch limits should be set on an ecosystem-wide basis, and footage from fishing boats should be publicly accessible.

“This bill should not weaken its ecosystem safeguards, reduce transparency, or undermine our own regional councils’ ability to protect under the New Zealand coastal policy statement.”

A flotilla of crafts, from fishing boats and yachts to kayaks and stand up paddle boards, surrounding a floating ‘ban bottom trawling’ banner at Mission Bay in Auckland, New Zealand in a show of opposition to bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf marine park (file image).

Greenpeace

Speaking for Greenpeace, Ellie Hooper said the current balance of protection versus profit for New Zealand’s waters was “drastically off kilter” and extractive industry had been prioritised.

“It’s extremely clear that this bill, if it was passed, would take ocean policy in this country further in that wrong direction, prioritising extraction and removing the very few environmental checks and balances that exist in the Fisheries Act to stop further decline.”

She said the bill was “rotten and must be rejected in its entirety”.

“The idea that the minister would be able to disregard the environmental principles currently in the act as if fishing happens in a vacuum and doesn’t have an impact on other species or habitats is kind of non-sensical to us.”

She said they opposed the introduction of five-year catch limits, shortened judicial review timeframes, and exemptions for fishing camera footage from the Official Information Act.

“We note the issues with privacy from the industry, but there is surely a way that we can rectify this with blurring all the releases of segments of footage. This industry does have a large impact on the ocean environment, and locking up that footage from public view is not going to rebuild trust in the commercial sector’s activities.”

“Having a fine that could potentially be five times higher for somebody releasing evidence of environmental damage versus someone who actually did that damage in the first place, we think is pretty egregious.”

Young Ocean Explorers

Steve Hathaway from marine educational charity Young Ocean Explorers said the waters around New Zealand once had abundant crayfish, snapper and other stocks – but things have changed.

“Our goal is to ensure we have a thriving ocean for future generations, and we’re on the coalface with Kiwi kids. We’ve personally given presentations to over 150,000 kids around Aotearoa and we’re hearing regularly that this generation of kids are really concerned about the planet and the ocean they’re inheriting.

“Most of New Zealand is actually ocean, about 93 percent of it, and it’s thought over 80 percent of our natives live there … a very old friend of mine told me that he wouldn’t stop to have a fish at 90-Mile Beach until he saw the ocean was pink, where he knew there’s enough snapper that he would get a good feed. These days are long gone.

“I’ve seen crayfish and scallops in abundance, and something we thought would never run out. They should be our God-given right as Kiwis to harvest, but now our Northlands were not allowed to take either of them, as numbers are so diminished. How has it been so poorly managed that it’s got to this place?”

He said New Zealand needed an ambitious goal for the future of its oceans.

‘Minor updates and modernisations’ – Fishing company

Fishing company Solander Group’s managing director Paul Hufflett said many of the other submitters were making “a lot of noise” and talking “off subject”.

“What we’re dealing with is effectively an update to a piece of legislation that has served New Zealand incredibly well for the better part of 30 years,” he said.

“Really we’re just talking about some relatively minor updates and modernisations of a robust piece of legislation that’s put New Zealand in an excellent position to go forward for another 30 years.”

He said they supported the minister having the power to make five-year Total Allowable Catch decisions, supported excluding boat footage from the OIA, opposed the 20-day time limit on judicial review, opposed the introduction of alternative deem values for inshore and deep water bycatch, and strongly supported allowing fish to be returned to sea.

Ngāti Porou settlement body was not consulted

Whangaokena ki Onepoto Takutai Kaitiaki Trust spokesperson Keryn Goldsmith said the trust was not consulted over the bill.

She said the Crown was obliged to engage with them on any Fisheries legislation that affects regulations in the area under their settlement.

“We’re not opposed to the fisheries reform, rather our submission supports improvements to the fisheries system, provided those changes operate consistently with the statutory and deed-based recognition arrangements already provided and agreed between Ngāti Porou and the Crown.”

She said the Ngā Rohe Moana o Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Porou Act and the deed to amend the deed of agreement 2017 were binding on the Crown.

“They establish a bespoke framework that must be taken into account whenever fisheries decisions or decision making affects our Rohe Moana. Those obligations apply throughout the legislative development, not just at implementation, and they are not displaced by generic public consultation processes.

“As drafted, the bill would reduce scrutiny. It would compress participation time frames, concentrates discretion with decision makers, and limits accountability. Considered together, these changes risk narrowing the practical space in which hapū are able to exercise their authority and responsibilities that parliament has already recognised from a kaitiaki perspective.”

She said the Crown’s obligation was to engage with Ngāti Porou hapū on any amendment to fisheries legislation that affected the recognition and fisheries mechanisms.

“That consultation did not occur prior to the introduction of this bill. This is not merely a procedural irregularity, it is a breach of statutory and deed-based obligations owed to Ngāti Porou hapū. The Crown cannot meet those obligations by treating Hapu as one voice among many in a generic public submission process.”

Goldsmith said they did not oppose the reforms, but they must proceed in a way that honours existing commitments.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

The government will spend $131 million on improving students’ reading, writing and maths in this year’s budget, the Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

Stanford made the pre-Budget announcement alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at Boulcott School in Lower Hutt on Monday.

Another 12 initiatives as part of primary and intermediate school education reforms would boost achievement and close the equity gap, Stanford said.

“[Children] will see more resources in their hands, more tutoring catch ups, more time with intervention teachers, and more help with a teacher at the front of the class who knows how to teach maths, reading and writing best practice.”

The new maths initiatives included:

• Maths hubs to improve teacher confidence and capability
• Hands-on maths resources and games for all Year 0-8 classrooms
• 36 additional Maths intervention teachers
• A new times table and division check at Year 5

The new literacy initiatives included:

• New writing workbooks for Year 4 and 5
• A digital writing tool for all Year 6-8 students
• New “decodable” books for older learners in Year 3-10
• A 12-week structured literacy programme for those who are struggling
• A new Year 2 Literacy Check, covering reading, comprehension, writing, spelling and basic punctuation (joining the existing Year 2 Maths Check)
• Guidance for teachers to improve the teaching of literacy, with supporting videos and resources.

There would also be a new reading action plan called Read to Succeed – joining the Make it Count maths plan and Write it Right writing plan.

Asked whether teachers would be overloaded with so many extra workbooks, Stanford said she had been asking schools what would make the biggest difference.

“This is coming directly from the sector themselves, and we are delivering it,” she said.

“Nothing is compulsory, but at least we’re making it free of charge.”

The initiatives would contribute to the government’s target of seeing 80 percent of Year 8 students achieving the expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing and maths by December 2030, Stanford said.

“Parents will have more information at each step of their child’s journey about how they are doing at school and students will be better set up for success when they enter high school.”

Very early signs reforms are working – minister

Stanford said fresh data released on Monday showed “very early signs” of success with last year’s maths and literacy curriculum changes.

“No one is claiming mission accomplished just yet,” she said.

“But these early results give us optimism and confidence that our reforms are moving in the right direction.”

Stanford said the investments would “level the playing field, reducing costs for schools and backing evidence-led reforms”.

There were early signs the government’s education reforms were already working, she said.

The latest Curriculum Insights and Progress Study looked at student achievement in late 2025 – three terms into previous reforms – and the results “surpassed expectations”, she said.

“A statistically significant improvement of 5 percent in writing and 6 percent in mathematics for Year 6 students between 2024 and 2025 interrupts New Zealand’s long-term decline in achievement between Year 4 and Year 8 and will better set these students up for success at high school.”

The minister credited teachers for that improvement.

Achievement in other areas and year groups was flat, which is what the government expected as the new curriculum was bedded in, Stanford said.

She expected to see “accelerated progress” over time.

The package would be funded from a mixture of new and reprioritised money, but Stanford would not reveal further details before the Budget.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

New Zealand’s new senior secondary qualifications will provide clearer, more credible recognition of student achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

“We want young people leaving school with qualifications that are clear, rigorous and widely understood by parents, employers, tertiary providers and students themselves,” Ms Stanford says.

“In March, we 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. 

“Today we are confirming how students will achieve the qualifications, the new grading scale, compulsory subjects, and assessment requirements. These changes are designed to provide clearer pathways, stronger foundations and greater confidence in what student achievement means.

“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. Obtaining the new literacy and numeracy Foundational Award, benchmarked at Year 11, will be will be a requirement to gain the new qualification.”

Certificates will clearly show how many subjects a student has passed, along with the grade achieved in each subject, creating incentives for students to work hard and achieve success across more subjects.

Students who achieve excellent results across all five subjects will also be eligible for endorsement awards, recognising outstanding academic and vocational performance.

“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.”

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. The qualification changes are being developed alongside the new knowledge-rich senior secondary curriculum so that what students learn and how they are assessed are properly aligned.

From 2028, Science | Pūtaiao will also become a compulsory subject in Year 11 alongside English | Te Reo Rangatira and Mathematics | Pāngarau.

“Science gives young people important foundational knowledge in today’s modern world, paving the way for our future scientists, problem-solvers and innovators.

“In 2025 we confirmed the subject list being developed by the Ministry of Education. Examples of exciting new subjects that have been confirmed for the curriculum are ‘Civics, Politics and Philosophy’, ‘Journalism, Media and Communications’ and ‘Advanced Mathematics’.

“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.

“Today’s Year 9 students will be the first cohort to progress through these changes, supported by a clearer curriculum and qualifications that properly recognise achievement and prepare them for the future.

“This is about ensuring every young New Zealander leaves school with qualifications that are credible, internationally comparable, and set them up for success.”

The National Party’s decision to scrap NCEA entirely guarantees many thousands of children will leave school with no qualification, no love of learning, and no preparation for a complex and fast-changing world, the Green Party says.

“One thing is clear from the announcement today by Christopher Luxon and Erica Stanford, they want more students to fail rather than more students to succeed. 

“Education is about encouraging curiosity and nurturing our future generation’s love of learning. NCEA is a world class qualification, one that is already internationally benchmarked. New Zealand students are readily accepted into top universities overseas with NCEA,” says Lawrence Xu-Nan, Green Party spokesperson for education. 

“New Zealand has seen the harm of standardising assessment, where some students are left further behind – especially Māori, Pasifika, disabled and neurodivergent, and rural students. The Minister herself has confirmed that students could leave school without a qualification. 

“The real world does not exist in neat little five subject boxes. Such siloed thinking will be more detrimental for our students’ learning than ever before. However, this Government is addicted to change and is determined to bring back outdated standardised assessments that do not prepare our students for the future. 

“There is also no confirmation on university entrance requirements, nor the relevant curricula that would support the qualification. This is another example of this Government’s cart-before-the-horse approach. 

“The Green Party is committed to halting the disastrous curriculum and qualification changes until there has been meaningful consultation with the communities, including teachers and principals, parents, and students to ensure that any change is centred on the needs and aspiration of individual students,” says Xu-Nan.

3 minutes ago

Leaving behind an established international aviation career to move to New Zealand and study at EIT has paid off for Vinodh Dharmarajah, who will graduate as one of two valedictorians this week.

The 38-year-old will graduate with a Master of Digital Business from EIT Auckland and deliver a valedictory address at one of two graduation ceremonies at Aotea Square tomorrow (Tuesday, May 19).

“It’s an extremely surreal moment, to be very honest,” Vinodh says.

“I wasn’t expecting at all that I would reach something like this. For me, the goal was always to complete the course to my own satisfaction and give my best. Being named valedictorian feels like an added privilege”

Originally from Sri Lanka, Vinodh moved to New Zealand with his wife to complete the 18-month Masters programme.

He brought extensive international experience to his studies, having worked with Qatar Airways, Emirates Holidays, Sri Lankan Airlines and British Airways, alongside senior management roles overseeing multiple airline operations.

Vinodh says returning to full-time study later in life was not something he had originally planned.

“A few years back, I wasn’t planning to become a full-time student,” he says.

“When I came here, I already had around 15 years of work experience and other qualifications. I didn’t want to repeat something I already knew. I wanted to be challenged and continue learning.”

He says EIT exceeded his expectations, challenging students academically, while also providing strong support.

“The lecturers challenged us, but they also provided enough knowledge and support. There was always room to learn and grow.”
While studying, Vinodh secured an internship with Williams Property Services Group, where his performance led to a part-time role before later becoming a full-time position.

He now works as Strategy and Business Development Manager.

Vinodh says one of the most rewarding parts of his EIT experience was studying alongside students from around the world and hearing the stories behind their journeys to New Zealand.

“Some students came here without knowing anyone and had to adapt to a completely different culture and environment. Leaving your comfort zone and starting over in another country takes courage.”

He says those experiences helped shape the speech he plans to deliver at graduation.

“I want to acknowledge how far many students have come. Every student has their own journey and challenges, and that really inspired me during my time at EIT.”

Vinodh also credits his wife for supporting him throughout his studies while he focused on completing the master’s programme.

“She was extremely supportive and worked while I was studying.”

Looking back, Vinodh says studying in New Zealand helped prepare him for both the local workforce and life in a new country.

“I’m not the same person who enrolled in the course. Professionally and personally, I’ve changed a lot through the journey.”

EIT Auckland Campus Director Cherie Freeman said: “Vinodh’s courageous leap into a new chapter and his commitment to growth have not only exceeded his own expectations but truly inspired our entire EIT community. We are incredibly proud to celebrate his remarkable achievements.”