He awa whiria—He aromatawai mō te anamata: Braiding kaiako voices in the future of NCEA

Abstract

The National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) were introduced to create a fairer and more flexible assessment system for all learners in Aotearoa New Zealand. Yet recent political debates and government announcements have signalled significant structural reform. These announcements have moved the reforms beyond the proposal stage and into confirmed policy direction. Cabinet has agreed to replace NCEA with a new qualification system comprising a Foundational Award in Year 11 and a two-level qualification structure across Years 12 and 13, to be phased in between 2028 and 2030. This shift signals not only structural redesign, but also a reorientation towards subject-based assessment and a stronger alignment between curriculum and qualification. For kaiako, this introduces both clarity of direction and renewed uncertainty about how these changes will be realised in practice.
Against this backdrop, this article draws on kaiako narratives to explore how NCEA is currently being reimagined in practice and what future refinements might ensure it remains equitable, culturally grounded, and future focused. Framed through the metaphor of he awa whiria, the braided rivers approach, the article argues that authentic assessment reform must braid together Western policy structures and mātauranga Māori values, rather than privileging one stream at the expense of the other. Kaiako voices illuminate how assessment, when locally interpreted and culturally responsive, can uphold mana, support diverse pathways, and strengthen learner agency.
The article contends that reform, rather than wholesale replacement, offers a more coherent and just pathway forward. By attending to kaiako experience, learner wellbeing, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments, assessment policy can achieve national coherence while retaining local responsiveness. Through a braided analysis of kaiako narratives, this article positions NCEA not as a system in failure, but as an evolving awa whose future strength depends on careful, relational, and culturally sustaining reform.

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