The general secretary of the Fijian Teachers Association, Paula Manumanunitoga, has highlighted a troubling trend: some primary students transitioning to secondary school are unable to read. This concern was addressed during the association’s annual general meeting in Suva, where Manumanunitoga emphasized the declining literacy rates among students just out of primary education.
He called on primary school teachers to take action, noting complaints from secondary school educators regarding students’ reading abilities. He urged teachers to work harder to enhance literacy, referencing discussions with the education minister.
Manumanunitoga also pointed to a growing dependence on artificial intelligence as a factor in this issue. He remarked on the advanced IT systems available that assist teachers and how students can become reliant on technology for learning.
He noted that literacy and numeracy rates in Fiji were significantly better before the FijiFirst government took power, stating that Fiji was once the leading nation in these areas within the Pacific. Today, he claims Fiji has fallen to sixth and seventh place, with countries like Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and Kiribati surpassing it.
Furthermore, he recalled that stricter disciplinary measures from previous years helped maintain better academic performance, mentioning practices such as making students stand on chairs or desks as part of classroom discipline, which are no longer permissible.