Dr Michael Johnston: Setting schools up to succeed in vocational education

Is it better to be a policy analyst or a plumber?

In the minds of many New Zealanders, university degrees carry greater status than industry qualifications. But many tradespeople earn as much, or more, than an average university graduate. Many tradies also go on to start highly successful businesses.

Dr Michael Johnston: NCEA does struggling students no favours

On Monday morning, Education Minister Erica Stanford announced that the NCEA assessment and qualification system will be replaced.

In 2028, a foundational award in literacy and numeracy will replace NCEA Level 1. The New Zealand Certificate of Education and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education will replace NCEA Levels 2 and 3 in 2029 and 2030, respectively.