NCEA achievement levels have dropped since the Covid-19 pandemic.

More students are leaving school with Level 3 pre-pandemic – but now achievement levels have dropped to where they were a decade ago.

The number leaving before their 17th birthday without Level 3 or university entrance is a major factor.

There have been steeper drops in Levels 1 and 2.

Education Hub founder Dr Nina Hood told Mike Hosking during Covid, children missed out on a lot of schooling and didn't have as much teaching.

“The result of that is that they didn’t build all of the foundational knowledge and skills that they needed. Those students are now coming through and sitting their Level 2 and Level 3 NCEA exams.”

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