Reinstating of Exams on Summit Agenda
The reintroduction of internal exams for students in Years One to Three will be up for discussion during the upcoming Education Summit.
Fiji Teachers Union general secretary, Muniappa Goundar gave his thoughts on the proposal to bring back exams for students in these levels
He said exams were scrapped for these levels during the tenure of the former Minister for Education, Heritage and Arts, Premila Kumar. She had highlighted that this was done to focus on the child’s early stages of learning, knowledge building, enhancing numeracy and literacy skills.
This led to the introduction of a new curriculum, Civics and Moral Education, for Years One to Three, to allow important values to be learnt at a young age for students. However, Mr Goundar, is of the mindset that all avenues of the curriculum must be explored and allowed thorough discussion. Mr Goundar said these policy changes on reinstating exams for Years One to Three should be accommodated in the summit as well as the Education Commission afterwards.
“FTU follows the principle of being ‘Partners in Education’ and any change in curriculum should undergo dialogue and consultation, which we respect,” he said.
He said with increased discussions they would address this potential reinstatement of exams with the ministry for consideration.
“As time passes, we will see how it goes,” he said.
“Change in curriculum to suit Fiji’s historical and cultural significant past is another topic of discussion that would be tabled at the summit.”
Teachers from various district branches converged at Labasa
Sangam College recently FTU annual conference.
Change of curriculum
for the
The drive for incorporation of historical events in the school curriculum was encouraged further with the recent Girmit Day celebrations across the country.
“During the Girmit celebration, we have seen how important it is to know our history and that is some of the things that must be inculcated in the new curriculum,” he said.