The University of Fiji has outlined a targeted plan to lift falling numeracy standards in primary schools, proposing a new teaching model and additional assessments after official data revealed a stark gap between literacy and numeracy outcomes. Vice‑Chancellor Shaista Shameem raised alarm after Education Minister Aseri Radrodro released figures showing Year 5 literacy at 95 percent while numeracy lagged at 74 percent, and more than 80 percent of schools recorded mathematics performance below expected levels by Year 4.
Shameem said the contrast between strong literacy rates and weaker numeracy performance underscores a pressing need to rethink how mathematics is taught in early years. Mathematics, she noted, is central to building students’ problem‑solving and critical thinking skills. In response, UniFiji intends to formally submit a strategy document to the Ministry of Education supporting the government’s National Numeracy Strategy, setting out concrete classroom and curriculum measures aimed at reversing the trend.
At the heart of the university’s proposal is a 60–40 teaching model for lower primary mathematics: 60 percent of classroom time would be teacher‑led instruction focusing on core skills and foundational knowledge, while 40 percent would be dedicated to student‑led inquiry and problem solving. UniFiji argues this balance would secure essential numeracy competencies through structured teaching while allowing pupils to apply and deepen understanding through exploratory tasks—an approach the university says is designed to produce both accuracy and reasoning ability.
To identify students falling behind basic arithmetic, the university is recommending a nationwide Multiplication Verification Assessment for Year 5 pupils. The assessment is intended as a diagnostic tool to help teachers pinpoint learners who require additional support in times tables and other core number facts, enabling targeted interventions before students progress to higher grades. Shameem and UniFiji representatives stressed early identification as critical, given the high proportion of schools already underperforming by Year 4.
The strategy also calls for a review of the Year 8 and Year 9 mathematics curriculum to smooth the transition from primary to secondary schooling. UniFiji officials told the ministry their review would look at alignment of content, pacing and assessment between upper primary and lower secondary, aiming to reduce repetition and gaps that can leave students unprepared for the increased abstract thinking required in later grades.
The university’s proposals arrive as an explicit response to the Radrodro data and are being put forward as actionable measures for the Ministry’s consideration. UniFiji has framed the package as complementary to existing national efforts on numeracy rather than as a replacement, and is seeking formal engagement with education officials, schools and teachers’ bodies to refine implementation details.
If adopted, the measures would touch classroom practice, assessment policy and curriculum sequencing—areas education experts say are pivotal for sustained improvement. The ministry has not yet announced a timeline for reviewing UniFiji’s submission or for piloting any of the proposed changes.
Leave a comment