‘Pull up your socks’

Fiji Teachers Association (FTA) General Secretary Paula Manumanunitoga yesterday called at a consultation in Suva for school principals to "wake up" and stop confining themselves to their offices, instead urging them to go into classrooms and supervise children's teaching. He pointed out that principals should actively supervise teachers, as he did when he was a teacher, to ensure that first-grade students can read by the end of the second semester.

Manumanunitoga recalled, "Back then, everyone was supposed to be a fluent reader, we didn't have illiterate people then." He questioned, "What has happened to us now? Why are there literacy problems in secondary schools? I can tell you, we go to school to be able to read and write." He mentioned that some school principals stay in their offices, often telling administrative staff they are working, but are actually likely "dozing off." He emphasized that now is the time to remind all principals that they must "wake up" and work hard to get teachers to work harder.

Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro also stated that the automatic promotion system has created a culture of complacency among students, teachers, and parents. He believes that students may not feel the need to put in the necessary effort to achieve academic excellence because progression to the next grade is guaranteed regardless of academic performance. Radrodro pointed out that the fluctuating average pass rates over the years can be attributed to automatic promotion, and teachers face challenges in addressing significant learning gaps in students who have been automatically promoted despite lacking the necessary skills.

Radrodro also mentioned that the online survey regarding the consultation process closed yesterday at 4:30 PM, with more than 626 responses received. He emphasized, "The Ministry of Education's goal in abolishing automatic promotion in the education system is to ensure that students achieve a specific level of learning outcomes and competencies before progressing to the next academic level."