Teachers Should Control AI-Assisted Marking, New Zealand Union Warns

Summary

A paper presented at the Post Primary Teachers’ Association conference in New Zealand says automated AI marking is expanding and urges teachers to retain control over assessment decisions. The paper says the New Zealand Qualifications Authority is using AI to mark reading, writing and mathematics NCEA co-requisite tests, with AI-human agreement reported at more than 80%. As a result, the number of human check markers for those tests has fallen from 100 in 2024 to 34 in 2026. Automated marking could expand as NCEA is replaced between 2028 and 2030, and Education Minister Erica Stanford has said she wants NZQA to use it for traditionally internally assessed assignments by 2028. The paper argues that marking is also professional learning: it helps teachers interpret standards, understand student work and maintain fairness. It says agreement is significantly weaker for complex work, where AI may inflate or compress grades, making current tools unsuitable for high-stakes summative assessment without human oversight. While some teachers believe AI could reduce administrative time, the paper recommends a hybrid model in which teachers review results, verify accuracy and remain accountable for final judgements.