The Post Primary Teachers Association says it is surprised by the Government's quick claim of credit for more students leaving school with NCEA qualifications.
Provisional figures show 76.8 percent of the teenagers who left school last year had at least level two of the NCEA, up from 74.3 percent the year before.
Education Minister Hekia Parata says the increase is consistent with steady improvements over the past five years, and it is an outstanding result.
Post Primary Teachers' Association president, Angela Roberts, says teachers can also take credit for the result.
She says it's a case of some good old fashioned grunt work by teachers working hard to implement changes over the last few years.
