NCEA English exam contains text about boy being bullied

Saturday 8 November 2025 · 3 outlets · 2 reports · updated Sat 8 Nov 2025, 2:52pm

An NCEA level 2 English exam featured an unfamiliar text describing a boy with long hair being bullied and forced to drop his pants to prove his gender. A student and teacher reported feeling uncomfortable due to the content of the exam.

How they headlined it

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1. Stuff via RNZSat 8 Nov 2025, 1:02pm

   English exam asks students to write about long-haired boy being bullied, forced to drop pants (opens in new tab)

   Also on RNZ (opens in new tab)

2. Otago Daily TimesSat 8 Nov 2025, 2:52pm

   Exam asked students to write about boy forced to drop pants (opens in new tab)