Lal questions Government’s decision to reintroduce exam mark scaling

Independent Opposition MP Ketan Lal has criticised the Government’s decision to reintroduce the scaling of external examination marks, saying the move risks masking deeper issues in Fiji’s education system.

Mr Lal said while the Government has defended the policy as aligning with international best practices, many students, parents, and teachers are “deeply concerned — and rightly so.”

Cabinet had approved the reintroduction of scaling of marks across all national examination levels, beginning in the 2026 academic year in a recent cabinet meeting.

The Ministry of Education said the move aligns with international best practices and supports national education priorities to ensure a fair and consistent assessment system for all students.

“Scaling of marks often hides the true academic performance of students instead of addressing the root causes of underperformance such as lack of qualified teachers, outdated curriculum content, poor classroom resources, and unequal learning environments between urban and rural schools,” Mr Lal argued.

Mr Lal urged the Ministry of Education to first focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning, teacher training, and school infrastructure before bringing back the controversial practice.

“Before reintroducing scaling, the Ministry should first focus on raising the quality of teaching and learning, improving teacher training, investing in school infrastructure, and ensuring that students across all divisions have equal access to educational support,” he said.

He said Fiji could not build a skilled and competitive workforce by artificially adjusting results.

“We can only achieve that by giving every student a fair chance to learn, grow, and excel based on their true merit and effort,” Lal said.