Disappointing results for Tonga's national exams in 2019, with a very low pass rate, has stung the Ministry of Education and Training to look at ways of improving students performances in the future. "We recognize there is a problem and we are outlining our plan to try and solve this issue,” said the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Siaosi Sovaleni at a press conference he called yesterday, 16 January.

Only 27% of students passed Form 5 School Certificate; 36% passed Form 6 Certificate; while 68% passed National Form Seven Certificate.

Only 42.7% of students passed Class six secondary school entrance exams.

The Minister said solutions included upskilling teachers, reviewing the school curriculum for students, and looking at access to resources like science laboratories and computers.

Other solutions included establishing new kindergartens as well as a community college (aimed at students who drop out of school early or those who want to go on to university), hiring more resources, having teachers specialize in one subject for indepth knowledge, and helping students transition from primary to secondary school.

Maths and Science subjects

One area of concern is the low number of students choosing math and science subjects.

“The Ministry is concerned that more and more students are opting out of subjects such as maths, science, economics, and accounting and selecting subjects such as English and Tongan, jeopardizing their chances for tertiary education,” said Siaosi.

He said the core maths and science subjects would help students meet University admission levels.

To address this, a teachers training program will start next week to upskill them and increase their knowledge on these subjects. This would include teachers in government and church schools.

Ministry of Education and Training CEO, Tangikina Steen said they were also concerned that students could exit school in Form 5 and the impact it would have on their future.

“We are very concerned with Form 5 students.”

Students who exit school early either find jobs, go on to other programs such as TVET, and some end up later on picking fruit as seasonal workers overseas. 

Tangikina said short-term, intermediate, and long-term strategies would be put in place to improve education for students. The Ministry’s staff development unit will be leading the training program for teachers.

After implementing these solutions, the results would not be immediate but she said it would benefit both teachers and students in the long run.