Riya Mala 
A survey by the Ministry of Education revealed that approximately 6,000 students failed the Year Eight examination between 2022 and 2023.
The survey aimed to identify students who did not meet the academic criteria for Year Eight.
Among them, 5,000 students were found to have performed poorly in school but were still promoted to the next year under the automatic progression policy.
The Deputy Secretary of Primary and Secondary Schools, Timoci Bure, believes that this policy hinders students’ academic development by promoting them without addressing their struggles, failing to provide necessary support, and affecting their long-term success.
“I think it was around October, maybe if I’m right, to do a survey and find out how many students who actually failed Year Eight in 2022 made it up, and where did they go in 2023. So when we checked Year Nine enrolment for 2023, we found 5,000-plus students who did not pass the exam.”
He also acknowledged that the Ministry was unable to trace over 500 students, as they might be studying in private schools, staying home, working on farms, or migrating.
Minister for Education, Aseri Radradro, says they are looking into the matter.
“So that is something that we will have to work very hard on to try and improve, to ensure that our students at least receive that basic education level.”
He emphasized that the gap in teacher qualifications affects education quality in lower grades, and they are working to address these concerns in order to provide a better learning environment for students.
