The boys' secondary school in the upmarket suburb of Epsom will this year get its fifth form (year 11) students to sit the University of Cambridge's international exams in favour of NCEA exams, the Herald on Sunday reported today.
Headmaster John Morris said the move was backed by the board of trustees, the academic committee and the majority of parents.
The school would allow some exceptions by letting weaker students sit NCEA English and maths exams, the newspaper reported.
Mr Morris said the school was confident the change was in the best interests of its pupils.
However the Education Ministry's manager of Secondary Outcomes, Tony Turnock, said that all state schools were required by law to make NCEA available to pupils who wanted it.
Alternatives to NCEA were not part of New Zealand's nationally-recognised qualifications system, he said.
NCEA was a robust, internationally recognised qualification that measured achievement in a broad range of subjects and was designed for students of all abilities, Mr Turnock said.
Education Minister Anne Tolley said in a statement that she had full confidence in the NCEA qualification.
"Parents are responsible for decisions about their child's education. If they have any concerns they should contact their school," she said.
