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Exclusive Wellington boys school Scots College has decided to drop NCEA, saying it tends to favour girls.
Headmaster Graeme Yule said NCEA lent itself to the girls, who tended to be more diligent with the internal assessment aspects of NCEA.
Mr Yule told The Dominion Post Scots College would spend $150,000 a year to roll out the International Baccalaureate programme to offer students an alternative.
He said girls had received more help since the 1980s to succeed in education and NCEA lent itself to those advancements.
Mr Yule said boys were more pragmatic and did just enough to pass, whereas girls were more mature in their study habits.
"We made a decision as a college a number of years ago that we would, as a New Zealand school, offer a New Zealand curriculum but we have reached a tipping point where we feel enough's enough," he said.
Several other private schools have dumped NCEA , which was brought in to replace the old School Certificate and University Entrance examinations.
Education Minister Steve Maharey said he was reluctant to be drawn into the debate as it was not relevant to him. Scots College was a private school and could make its own decisions, he said.
Nelson College for Girls principal Alison McAlpine said while it was possible that the more diligent girls did fared better with NCEA, they were qualities that were important for any student.
- NZPA
