Radrodro urges students to better 69 per cent last year

More than 19,141 Year 8 students are sitting their external examinations at 718 centres nationwide, hoping to improve on last year’s provisional pass rate of 69 per cent.

The Fiji Year 8 Examination, which began on Tuesday with the English paper, ends today.

Education Minister Aseri Radrodro on Monday urged the 19,141 Year 8 students to remain calm, confident and resilient throughout the examination, reminding them that the examination was only one part of their educational journey.

“Have faith in what you have studied,” Mr Radrodro told the Year 8 students, encouraging them to trust their abilities and believe in themselves.

He said family support, teacher encouragement and personal sacrifice were key sources of motivation as students worked towards their academic goals.

For some students, the examination experience has already highlighted the importance of preparation and the support of those around them.

Arya Samaj Primary School prefect Mariana Rosa described her first public examination experience as challenging but said she remained determined to improve in her upcoming papers.

“It was a little bit challenging, but if I study hard then I will find it easier,” Mariana said.

She credited her parents and teachers as her biggest sources of motivation and encouraged fellow students to remain positive as they continued with their examinations.

St Anne’s Primary School Year 8 student Felisita Kurisese said nervousness followed her first paper as she worried about whether she had selected the correct answers.

However, instead of dwelling on the uncertainty, Felisita said she was focusing on completing her remaining papers and working towards her future goals.

Her preparation has also involved personal sacrifices, including reducing her sleeping hours to allow more time for study.

Felisita said she normally went to bed at 8pm but had been staying up until about 11pm to study.

She identified her mother as her biggest motivation, acknowledging the support of her parents, grandparents and siblings throughout the school term.

Both students said preparation, perseverance and encouragement from family and teachers had helped them remain focused during the examination period.

Mr Radrodro has also called on parents, guardians, teachers, heads of schools and support staff to continue providing students with the necessary support as they complete their examinations.

Mariana and Felisita’s experiences reflect the personal effort behind the national examination figures, with classroom preparation matched by determination, family sacrifice and encouragement at home.