Palmerston North Boys' High School rector David Bovey says not offering NCEA level 1 could benefit students and teachers.

One of Manawatū's biggest schools is looking to ditch NCEA level 1, saying its value is questionable and it causes teachers and students undue stress.

A teachers' union supports the move, while the Ministry of Education says the community should be consulted about any changes.

In Palmerston North Boys' High School's April newsletter, rector David Bovey said the school proposed not offering enough credits for students to get NCEA level 1 from 2019.

They would, however, get enough literacy and numeracy credits to attain University Entrance. Not getting level 1 does not stop students from getting level 2 credits.

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Rototuna Senior High School, Fairfield College and Hobsonville Point Secondary School are among the schools that have already made the move.

Bovey was overseas and could not be reached for comment, but in the newsletter he said there had been discussions between the school and students during the past 12 months.

NCEA put students through a "continuous grind" of assessments throughout their senior years, which was quite different from a few weeks of exams at the end of each year.

Government assessment targets had put level 2 as the minimum qualification for school leavers, giving level 1 a "questionable" value, he said.

Furthermore, the mental health of young New Zealanders had declined during the past decade, Bovey said.

"While not all of the blame can be laid at the feet of NCEA – this time period also marks the advent of the smartphone and social media – there is little doubt that it is a noteworthy contributing factor and one of the reasons for the national NCEA review currently under way."

Teachers would also benefit, as they would have more time to explore ideas outside of what was usually assessed, he said.

The school is wanting to hear from parents, and would have a meeting about the proposed change sometime in term two.

Post Primary Teachers' Association president Jack Boyle said he supported Bovey talking to the school community about the proposed change.

Reducing teacher workload was good, but any changes had to have students at the centre, he said.

NCEA resulted in students concentrating on aggregating credits, with the number of assessments in a year usually giving well above the 80 credits needed for each level.

"If we are so focused on credits ... where is the end point of putting learning into context?"

Not putting learning into context meant students could not figure out how it could apply to their lives.

Surveys showed New Zealand teenagers were more anxious about exams than students in any other developed nation, while no other country had students taking such intense assessments three years in a row, Boyle said.

"How do they find the balance when there is a high-stakes assessment every couple of weeks for three years?

"It's about being able to be kids, being able to enjoy sports and take part in cultural activities."

NCEA was also tough for teachers, because of the number of reviews, amount of marking and sorting out lesson plans, Boyle said.

Ministry of Education early learning and student achievement deputy secretary Ellen MacGregor-Reid said the ministry expected boards of trustees to talk with students, teachers and the wider school community about such changes.

"Any changes in assessment practice should also be made with sufficient lead-in time and support to enable a successful transition," MacGregor-Reid said.

A review of NCEA, already under way with public consultation set to begin, would focus on the structure and relevance of level 1, she said.