The recruitment policy for students starting Year 9 in 2025 will be reviewed by the Ministry of Education.
Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro said this step was part of the Government’s review of the no-repeat policy.
As many as 19,396 students sat for the Fiji Year Eight Examination last year and recorded a 69 per cent pass rate – which meant approximately 13,383 students passed their exams while 6012 students failed.
“I also wish to inform this august house that all students completing the Year Eight Examination, and also for Year Nine in 2025, we will have to review the recruitment policy,” he said.
“On the same note, any parents or guardians who still face difficulty in enrolling their children at Year 9, they will have to contact our district offices so they can be assisted accordingly.
Mr Radrodro emphasised the need to review the no-repeat policy and how it has led to a lack of monitoring of students who were failing external exams such as the Fiji Year Eight Examination.
“We have to review the so-called no-repeat policy.
“This is something that we ever explored to see how many of those students over the past years that I’ve mentioned have automatically progressed into Year 9.
“The current practice is that all students who have completed Year 8 at the primary school level are supposed to be enrolled in Year 9 at secondary school, and this is something that we are trying to review and also monitor.”
He added for students who have failed, the ministry would bring back vocational learning for lower levels.
“There’s always a general question that has been raised, how do we cater for students who have failed?” said Mr Radrodro.
“So as a way forward, the Ministry of Education is looking at introducing technical vocational education training at a lower level from Year 8 or Year 9.”
This year, the pass rate was 69 per cent, a two per cent increase from last year.
