Tavua teacher says majority of students in secondary school cannot read or write English

Poor English results among secondary school students are one of the major challenges teachers are facing, as majority of the students do not speak in English well, and their writing skills fall far below expectations.

This concern has been raised by Sarome Fiu, an English teacher at Tavua District Secondary School, during a consultation on the review of the Education Act 1966 held in Tavua.

Fiu says the teaching of numeracy and literacy should be made compulsory from Year 1 to Year 5.

She says they have encountered students who are non-readers, struggling readers, or those who can read but are unable to comprehend what they read.

She also questioned whether the Commission has ever considered labelling a school as a Hope School and whether they have taken into account the background of the students enrolled.

She adds a school like Tavua District is often enrolling students who have failed elsewhere or who cannot gain admission into other schools.

The consultation on the Review of the Education Act 1966 is underway at the Nadi Civic Centre today.