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Wellington (Tuesday, 26 August 2025) - Nearly half of all grades at the University of Auckland were As during COVID-19, part of a dramatic rise in top marks that cannot be explained by academic improvement, according to a new report released today. Amazing Grades: Grade Inflation at New Zealand Universities, published by The New Zealand Initiative, is the first analysis of grading patterns across all eight New Zealand universities. Read more

Dr James Kierstead talked to Ryan Bridge on Herald Now about grade inflation at New Zealand universities, revealing that A grades have increased by 13 percentage points since 2006, with pass rates now above 90% at most institutions. Dr Kierstead argued this isn't due to students getting smarter but rather an "ethic of kindness" where academics give more accommodations, particularly highlighted during COVID when 49% of University of Auckland grades were A-range. Read more

Dr Michael Johnson talked to the Wallace Chapman, Ali Jones and Simon Pound on RNZ's The Panel about the educational reasoning behind focusing on English phonics for beginning readers. He explained that teaching consistent spelling-to-sound mappings first, before introducing irregular words including te reo Māori terms, helps young children build reading confidence through mastering fundamental phonetic rules. Read more

Wellington (Monday, 4 August 2025) – The New Zealand Initiative welcomes the Government’s announcement to replace NCEA with a more rigorous qualification system, marking a crucial turning point for New Zealand education. The proposed reforms – including compulsory English and Mathematics at Year 11, structured subject requirements and clearer A-E grading – directly address the fundamental flaws The New Zealand Initiative has identified through years of research. Read more

On his show on Newstalk ZB, John MacDonald discussed the New Zealand Qualifications Authority's report on NCEA's limitations in preparing students for career pathways, specifically highlighting the system's over-emphasis on university education. He referenced Dr Michael Johnston's research that 44% of school leavers aren't enrolled in tertiary education and only 6% end up in work-based training. Read more