Education Failure: Interest Lost

Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro has highlighted a troubling trend whereby students are simply losing interest in education.

Mr Radrodro revealed in Parliament yesterday the troubling trend following a 69 per cent pass in this year's Fiji Year 8 Examination (FY8E) result.

A total of 19,359 Year 8 students were registered to sit for the FY8E this year.

These results would mean that more than 6000 students had failed but are still expected to progress to Year 9.

Delivering a ministerial statement on the Year 8 Exam results, Mr Radrodro said that while the 2024 FY8E results saw the highest national pass rate in recent years at 69 per cent, the overall trend between 2015 and 2024 had been inconsistent, with a sharp decline in 2022 (62 per cent) and a notable recovery in 2023 (67 per cent).

Mr Radrodro admitted that several systemic issues were contributing to the lack of student success, including poor student motivation, an outdated curriculum, overcrowded classrooms, and ineffective school leadership.

"Many students are simply not interested in the value of education, leading to weak academic preparedness and low performance, particularly in core subjects like mathematics," Mr Radrodro said.

"We have low academic preparedness, students attending Year 8 classes with weak foundation skills such as mathematics and literacy.

"Lack of motivation, no interest in learning, lack of understanding about the importance of education, behavioural issues, disruptions in class and lack of discipline amongst students and stakeholders.

"Then we have attendance problems: irregular school attendance due to illness, family responsibilities or just the plain lack of interest."

He pointed to rural areas as particularly affected, with rural schools consistently underperforming compared to urban schools.

Last year, rural areas recorded a FY8E pass rate of 63 per cent, while urban areas recorded 70 per cent.

Mr Radrodro also detailed the concerning ethnic disparities in the national results, with iTaukei students recording 67 per cent pass rate, Inda-Fijians achieving 73 per cent, and Rotuman students leading with 76 per cent.

The difference, Mr Radrodro argued, reflected broader issues of student engagement and curriculum relevance.

Cause of failure

Addressing the root causes of these fluctuations, Mr Radrodro identified several key factors impacting students' performance:

• Curriculum challenges - The curriculum is not sufficiently aligned with students' needs, local context, and interests. Mr Radrodro echoed Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka's call for a review of the education curriculum to make it more relevant and engaging.
• High student-teacher ratios - Overcrowded classrooms are reducing individual attention and support for students.
•  Weak leadership and poor school management - A lack of planning and monitoring of academic performance is contributing to inconsistent results.
• Low academic preparedness- Students are entering Year 8 with insufficient foundation skills in critical areas like mathematics and literacy.
• Student behavioural issues - Lack of motivation, disruptions in class, and attendance problems are widespread, with many students absent due to illness, family responsibilities, or lack of interest.
• Parental disengagement - Many parents are not actively involved in their children's education, failing to assist with homework or attend school meetings, further hindering student progress.
• Community factors - Violence, substance abuse, and lack of support services in some communities are contributing to educational challenges.

What is the ministry doing?

Mr Radrodro said the Ministry had been addressing these challenges through a range of proposed reforms.

One key proposal is the introduction of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the Year 8 and Y 9 levels to better prepare students for the workforce.

Additionally, the Ministry plans to review the controversial "no-repeat" policy, under which students who fail are automatically promoted to the next grade.

This practice, Mr Radrodro noted, has seen a growing number of failing students advancing despite poor results.

Mr Radrodro also stressed the need for curriculum reforms, particularly in mathematics, where the national pass rate has been dismal, standing at just 41 per cent.

He said while English had a pass rate of 70 per cent, significant improvements were needed in other subjects, and the Ministry had actively been reviewing teaching content to address these gaps.

The Minister vowed stricter monitoring of schools falling under the HOPE (Highest-Need, PoorPerforming Schools) category for three consecutive years, ensuring that school leadership is held accountable for their students' academic progress.

Mr Radrodro reminded Parliament that education is a collective responsibility, urging teachers, parents, communities, and religious organisations to work together to ensure children have the opportunity to succeed.

"We must collaborate to create a learning environment where education is valued, and students are motivated to achieve their full potential.

"Teachers, parents, vanua, lotu and everyone else to ensure that all our children achieve the best. Let's work collaboratively to ensure that Fiji remains a place for every child to learn, grow and succeed."

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