Parents raise concern regarding Ministry’s decision to reduce exams for secondary schools

Following the announcement made by the Minister for Education Premila Kumar regarding the changes they are looking to make in the education system, some parents have raised concerns about the reduction in the number of exams.

Kumar had said that the Ministry is looking to reduce exams for secondary schools and they will be scrapping all exams for students from Years 1 to 3.

She says this is because it is a very short period of barely 12 or 13 weeks when students come to school in the first term and there is no point in testing their knowledge.

Kumar has also said that they will be removing a number of subjects taught in Years 1 to 3 and focus on numeracy, literacy, civic and moral education.

Some parents have contacted us and said that they prefer their children to sit for more exams to better prepare them for external examinations.

They say this is to ensure that students are used to the exam environment and the time they have to take to complete the papers and to ensure they are not thrown off in major exams.

The National Federation Party has released a statement saying making changes willy-nilly to the education curriculum without a comprehensive inquiry into the whole education system by an independent Commission of Inquiry is destroying the quality of education.

NFP Leader Professor Biman Prasad says the new government after the general elections will have a herculean task in dealing with ill-conceived and haphazard changes to education by the small minded, bureaucratic and paranoid FijiFirst Government.

Professor Prasad says despite the mountainous mess that will be left behind by the current government, the NFP in government will be more than ready and capable of eradicating this mess and restore quality education.

He says the mess in the education sector today is a direct result of the dictatorial imposition of policies without the consultation with the stakeholders.

Prasad says since 2014, the NFP has repeatedly called for the appointment of an Education Commission to review the education sector in Fiji because the last such holistic review took place more than 21 years ago in 2000.

He says since 2007, the Military government and then the FijiFirst government have continued to engage in piecemeal, haphazard and ill-conceived reforms in every facet of the education sector.

Prasad adds there have been changes to the examinations, changes to curriculum, changes to teacher recruitment policies, appointment of teachers on short term contracts and many others which urgently needs a review.

The NFP Leader also says only a properly constituted Education Commission can undertake a proper review and consultation with the stakeholders.

He says if the Minister and her government have any concerns about the destruction that has been done to the quality of education at all levels in this country under their management, they will appoint an Education Commission soon to undertake a proper review. Minister Kumar has said that one of the major things they want to do is a education sector review and the Ministry is working with the development partners to put in submissions so that they can get funding.

Kumar says as soon as all that is done, they will be starting their review where a team will be appointed to meet with stakeholders to get their views on how education should be run in Fiji.

We have sent questions to Kumar regarding the concerns raised by the parents and Professor Prasad, and are awaiting her response.