Mt Albert Grammar headmaster: A chaotic 25-year NCEA journey had to change. Here's how it is

PremiumOpinionOpinion byPatrick DrummNZ Herald·24 Jun, 2026 11:00 PM5 mins to readPatrick Drumm is the headmaster at Mount Albert Grammar School and a member of the Curriculum Senior Secondary Assurance Group.Mount Albert Grammar School headmaster Patrick Drumm says things had to change and they are – and they promise much hope for the future. Photo / NZMETHE FACTSIn March, the Government officially confirmed it will proceed with a significant overhaul of New Zealand’s secondary school qualification system, including the replacement of the NCEA.Senior high school students will now face a compulsory exam in every subject, be marked from A+ to E and need to pass at least three subjects each year to get their graduation certificates under the Government’s NCEA replacement.The changes came after criticism from some quarters that literacy, numeracy and academic results have been faltering under the NCEA and that students are not being challenged to excel.

The launch of Tomorrow’s Schools in 1989 coincided with my first year as a teacher of science and chemistry at Onehunga High School. It was a brilliant time to be a new teacher. I was welcomed into a science department rich in subject experts, well-led and well-resourced. Many